The Lady in Solitude
by sunkissedvampire
Summary: Were they dating now? Mai was unsure. They'd been back in Japan for several months and Naru was only just starting to show her attention when they are whisked away on another international case that will leave them screaming in frustration. The stories aren't lining up, the ghosts are confusing and vague, and something horribly powerful is hiding in the wings. Sequel to TLITL.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N ~ Hey guys! It's been a while. I recently delved back into GH, again, and even reread my own story for kicks. Thus, I had an idea for a sequel. I reached out for requests and a lot of what you guys suggested was awesome. This story is going to be . . . well . . . a bit different. There was a specific concept that I wanted to explore and I ended up building a story around it to make it work. I won't go into detail, as it would spoil the mystery for you, but it's going to be awesome. This story takes place only a few months after the previous one, so make sure you check out "The Lady in the Lake" before you delve in to this one. I have about 72K written for this story and the rest of it plotted out but updates may vary given that I am managing a business. _

_It has been a while since I last wrote for GH so I want to warn you that my writing style may have changed. It has been a while since I wrote in general, so I'm a little rusty, and I apologize in advance. _

_As always, please read and review. Hearing from you will only inspire me to work more! _

Sunlight streamed in through the open window and blazed a path across the office, illuminating the teal rug and coffee table that rested upon it. There were a few scattered papers left behind by Yasuhara when he had rushed off to class last minute. The possible cases were left for him to look over and then he would pass them on to Mai for review. But in that moment she could not bring herself to move over to collect them. The sun warming her back and the cup of still steaming tea resting between her hands locked her in place while her mind wandered drowsily like the dust particles floating through the air.

The quality of life for those working with SPR had drastically shifted after the Prudence Case, though none of them had bothered to voice their thoughts on it, Mai was inherently aware of it. Suddenly, the world had seemed much larger, fuller, and riper with more possibilities than it ever had before. She could sense it even as they returned to their normal lives and reclaimed the old office for use, once more taking on small cases brought to them by the locals of Japan, and passing the days with tea and basic paranormal investigation.

For Mai most of all. She had reached up into the heavens and pulled down a goddess to assist in cleansing a demon. Simple restless spirits were nearly nothing in comparison, even if their stories were still just as sad. Somehow, the world in her mind had doubled in size. There was now an extra layer, or aspect, to the paranormal world that mingled with her everyday life. She imagined that it was how the heroes of fantasy stories felt. The ones where a modern day man or woman slipped through a portal into a fantasy world to take part in some great quest. Like she was living two lives at once.

Mai heaved a sigh, head lulling forward, as boredom rose up within her. They hadn't taken a case in nearly two weeks and she was growing restless. Naru seemed to have no desire to take on anything worthwhile since their return and was content to work quietly in his office, claiming to be working on a new research article inspired by Mai's achievements with Prudence and her mother. Which was great, except, Mai had had nothing to do for days now. She had even resorted to cleaning the whole office from ceiling to floor twice over and had begun experimenting with different teas and coffees. So far, Naru had called her on every new brand she had offered him secretly while Lin, she had begun to realize, had no care for what she put in front of him and would drink it down without a second thought.

She worried for him.

It had never occurred to her just how oblivious he could be about anything that didn't revolve around Naru or the paranormal. Or Madoka, for that matter.

A week after their return from Florida Lin had proposed. It had been the talk of the team and Yasuhara continued to tease the man about it to that day. Yasu claimed that he had thought Lin was a robot, built by Naru himself as a child to be his own caretaker, and was completely taken by surprise that Lin had manifested emotions and fallen in love. Lin would only sigh and refrain from commenting. It was obvious that he hoped that Yasuhara would give up on him if he refrained from reacting but Lin did not know the young man as well as Mai did, and she knew for a fact that he would not give up so easily.

Mai set her tea down, limbs heavy in her relaxation, and turned in her chair to look out the window behind her. People shuffled along the sidewalk below casually, it was early in the week and still a little hot out, but the café below was attracting a lot of business those days. It was rare not to see it packed and Mai was glad. She had felt guilty after quitting so last minutes even though the owners had been so understanding and even happy for her getting her old job back. They deserved to be successful.

Mai smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"Mai."

She jumped a little at the sound of her name and spun her chair back around to face Naru as he stepped out of his office. He lifted a hand to the door frame and she looked over his appearance with a critical eye. He had been spending nights in the office again, that much she could tell, by the dark circles under his eyes and the wrinkled shirt that hung from his frame.

"Did you need more tea?" she asked curiously, wondering why he had not just called for her from his desk as he normally would. She pushed herself to her feet, nearly tripping over the wheels of her chair as she did.

Yes, tea. That seemed to be what their relationship would always revolve around. Mai had hoped that, after all that had happened during Prudence's case, they would have, maybe, progressed? He _had_ kissed her after all. But upon their return to Japan it appeared as if Naru was having second thoughts. Whatever physical contact he had grown used to over in America had vanished overnight. Of course, she might have just been over thinking things, as he had been extremely busy furthering his research and, besides the recent two weeks, they had been swamped with minor cases.

Naru paused and looked her over briefly before he pushed himself away from the door frame and stepped over towards the front door, "Would you like to get lunch?"

Mai blinked, uncomprehending, before she hurried around the desk while reaching for her purse that she had left on the couch wearing a winning smile. Maybe there was hope for him yet, after all, she thought as she stepped through the door he held open.

Lin peeked out from his office and she just caught Naru waving him off from the corner of her eye before he shut the door behind him and offered his arm to her. Nervously, Mai lifted her own arm to wrap around his and quickly dropped her eyes to the floor before them as they walked down the hall to the staircase that led to the sidewalk outside.

"He what?"

Mai heaved a sigh as she absently sifted through the rack of clothing before her. Outside the shop in the mall, people shuffled through the concourse, and their muffled chatter barely penetrated the stuffy store. It was not enough to block out Ayako's surprised squawk nor was it enough to hide her sigh in return. "He took me out to lunch," Mai reiterated and pulled a black top out to examine while Ayako clapped excitedly behind her.

"Alright, Mai," she stated, suddenly taking on a serious air about her while she lifted a clenched fist. Her eyes glinted as she continued, "Now is your chance to lure him in for the kill. He's shown continued interest. You have to get him to marry you before his attention is pulled away by some other small medium."

"Ayako!" Mai admonished, voice raised. She fought down the blush but looked back down at the black top hesitantly. It was a loose fitting sweater but it had a gather on the side that would hug her waist and several slits cut into the long sleeves. She hugged the sweater to her chest possessively while Ayako chuckled knowingly behind her.

"What did you guys talk about?" the priestess questioned in a more genuine tone while eyeing a pair of black slacks.

"We didn't talk about much, Naru was Naru," Mai answered with a resigned shrug, "he mostly stared out the window but he did seem kind of upset about something."

"Did he finally discover the stick up his ass?" Ayako muttered ruefully and folded the slacks over one arm.

Mai snorted, failing to restrain her mirth at the statement, before she headed for the cash register. "Who knows?" she called back over her shoulder. Naru had been in a rotten mood for a while but she had not been able to work up the courage to ask him about it. She made a mental note to muster the nerve to do so while she used the gift card from Ayako, given to her all those months ago, to pay for the sweater.

"I'm sure we'll hear about it soon," Ayako bemoaned as they left the shop and headed to the next. Mai had requested the second half of the day off so that she could go shopping with Ayako, after they had been talking about it for months, and she was honestly thankful for the much needed girl time. Monk was on a tour around Japan with his band at the moment so it was no surprise that the woman had reached out to her for some company. Mai was just happy that they were once again a solid part of each other's lives. In the time that Naru had been away they had all remained in contact but it was impossible to ignore the distance that had begun to stretch between them. A few scheduled phone calls missed, a few special events passed without word from one or the other of the group, and Mai had begun to worry. But now, with their dark shadow of a boss' return, they had snapped back together like a rubber band.

"I'm just surprised he offered," Mai continued with a frown, "He reverted back to his usual self since we got back . . ." Seriously, it was like he had read her mind in that moment and realized he was slacking.

"Honestly, Mai, I don't think the man has ever been romantically involved with anyone in his life," Ayako said, "He probably has no idea what he's doing, so don't take it to heart." She reached over to ruffle the girl's hair with a kind smile.

Mai smiled in return, thankful for Ayako's caring heart, and looked ahead as they entered the next shop. She still had another three thousand yen on the gift card to spend and she wanted to find a few more articles of clothing that would help her feel a bit more confident before her birthday dinner that Friday. She would be turning eighteen and it would be a large event, though she would not yet be a legal adult in Japan, in many of SPR's other cultures, she would be. Additionally, it was her first birthday after graduating high school. She had been debating on continuing into a college the year before but with the return of Naru, she had hesitated, as paranormal investigating was her passion. She had put it on the back burner and had nervously skirted around the topic for as long as she could but it was weighing on her heavily.

A lot could change in year. Including her academic goals, she guessed.

Mai lifted her arms over her head to stretch, ignoring the plastic bag from the last shop as it bumped her ear, and let out a relieved groan. It was nice to get out and walk around for a bit. They spent the next hour shuffling through the mall in search of more finds before Ayako dropped Mai back off at the office. It was quiet as she slipped in and set her bags down behind her desk. She could hear the steady typing of Lin and Naru's dueling laptops but no other sound permeated the stuffy atmosphere. She moved over into the kitchenette to make one last round of tea for them before she would return home for the evening. Rocco needed to be walked before she could turn her attention to her growing pile of laundry in her closet. One of the other things she had been putting off for as long as she could.

The water boiled as she reached for the pot to allow the tea to steep. Once done, she breezed through the two separate offices and collected the empty teacups left from the last serving, and returned to wash them out.

She hadn't even noticed the gloomy specter that was her boss as he followed her back to the kitchenette before he called her name.

"Mai."

She continued to pour tea without pause, used to him appearing out of nowhere by that point, and hummed in response as she set the pot down carefully. She felt his arms wrap around her waist in the next moment and his head rested upon her shoulder shortly after.

Mai froze, back tense in surprise, before she allowed herself to relax and glance down at him from the corner of her eye. All she could see was his mop of black hair but it shone in the small kitchenette light. He almost never initiated contact, in fact, after they had returned from the US she could not recall him doing so at all. She was uncertain as to what prompted his spur of affection but she was certain it was due to the research he had been swimming through over the past two weeks. She fought down the blush threatening to paint her face scarlet and chuckled.

Really, what was going on? He had even taken her out to lunch. What switch had been flipped in his brain that had him turning his attentions to her that day? Regardless of the situation, Oliver Davis was a man of logic and intelligence, and the sudden spurt of odd behavior set Mai on edge, though not completely against his actions.

"You must be tired," she stated quietly and reached up to run her fingers through his hair.

Naru grunted in response and tightened his hold on her.

Worry ebbed around the spike of pleased excitement in her chest but she was afraid to move, as if Naru was a wild animal that she had finally coxed over to her, and break the spell that had fallen over him. She felt his weight shift, leaning more on her, and she reached up to feel his forehead. He was running a bit warm, she thought with a hum, and resisted the urge to let out a disappointed sigh as she spun in his hold and led him out towards the couch. Naru shuffled along behind her wordlessly and sat down with a sigh of his own with fingers lifted to the bridge of his nose as an obvious headache swelled forth.

"I just made some tea," she murmured quietly as she retrieved the cups from the kitchenette and set one down in front of him. She slipped into Lin's office to drop his off. "Naru's down for the count, Lin, were you two planning to head home soon?"

Lin pulled his eyes from the computer screen, stoic face painted in the harsh light against the dark of his office, and blinked while he reoriented his brain in reality. He lifted a hand to his face and rubbed at his eyes before he reached for the cup of tea Mai had sat down next to his hand. "I'll talk to him in a moment," he murmured while the warm caffeine kick started his system.

"You look like you could use a good night's sleep yourself, Lin," Mai observed dryly.

Lin bestowed upon her an exhausted smile before she retreated back out into the main office to check on Naru. He had leaned back in the couch, head resting against the back, while the now empty cup sat before him on the table. Mai smirked and stepped forward to grab the throw blanket from one of the chairs and pulled it over him.

Naru was lost to the world for the next eight hours, most likely. She dropped a kiss atop his head, giggling quietly at her cleverness, before she moved over to her desk to collect her things. She peeked back into Lin's office to let him know she was on her way out and he only lifted his eyes from the screen momentarily to offer her a nod in response.

Mai spent the next three minutes shoving her bags into the seat of her scooter, wrestling with the latch, before she gave up and just sat down on top of it. The latch clicked shut and she sighed before she slid the key into the ignition and her scooter puttered to life cheerily. If she hurried, she could be home in ten minutes but she never felt particularly rushed on her nightly drives. The world was far quieter and the air fresher and, sometimes, she just really liked to take the extra time to organize her thoughts from throughout the day.

Tonight was no different. As the wind rustled her hair that fell below her helmet, she took a moment to remember Naru's touch and she giggled. She had long since learned that he had an aversion to physical contact regularly, and the way he had stuck to her side in Florida had surprised her, but he seemed to regress back to his old ways once more. However, it appeared that exhaustion caused him to subconsciously, or consciously, seek out some form of physical comfort. It was cute and more than a bit endearing to know that she had now moved up on his list to his number one go to for such a thing. She would have to tell Gene, she was certain he would delight in the information.

Mai made it home safely and the next few days passed by in a similar haze as the others had. Naru had refused two other cases by the time Friday arrived and she was beginning to grow suspicious of his actions. How could he afford to keep paying them if they never took any work? She had a theory of what was to come but she refrained from pestering him about it as she left the office to get ready for her birthday dinner. It was practically a miracle that he was coming out to eat with everyone and she didn't want to run the risk of putting him in a bad mood.

She pulled her newly purchased black sweater on over her head, please that the night was cool enough for it, and jumped into a pair of denim skinny jeans that were ripped at the knees while Rocco gnawed on a bone in his bed. She could just see him in the mirror as she adjusted her hair and debated on doing something with it. It was getting long. She shrugged and put it in a messy bun before tugging at a few strands to frame her face. If Ayako were present, she was certain she would have demanded she layer her face in makeup before daring to set foot outside her door. She settled for a bit of mascara instead.

"Well," she exclaimed with her hands on her hips. Rocco lifted his ears but continued to gnaw on the bone. "This is as good as it's going to get," she finished and moved away from the mirror to snatch her phone from her bed. Naru and Lin had offered to pick her up and she had just received a text from the boss man himself informing her of their arrival. As soon as she had read through the text there was a knock at her apartment door and she quickly hushed Rocco before he let out one of his customary greeting howls. She had told her landlord that she had adopted a dog but she had been able to skate around the exact breed and she was determined to continue doing so for as long as she could. She was certain his size would pose an issue should it ever come to light.

Mai hurried to the front door and pulled it open to reveal Naru himself standing in the breezeway with crossed arms. She was surprised to find that he had traded his black dress shirt of the day in for a charcoal grey button up and a black coat.

It was the first bit of color she had seen on him since she had first met him and she hated how much it made her blush.

"I'm glad my appearance is pleasing but I don't plan on standing here all night," Naru chided with a quirked brow.

Mai stammered and when she failed to come up with an adequate response, scowled, before she reached for her black purse by the door and stepped out to shut the door behind her. She locked the door before turning back to face him with her own raised brow. It prompted Naru to offer his arm, the slightest of smirks present, and lead her down the stairs into the parking lot where Lin sat waiting in the car.

He paused at the passenger side door and leaned towards her to murmur in her ear, "You look beautiful," and then opened it to allow her access to the front seat.

Lin quirked a brow as Mai sat down next to him, face bright, and glanced back curiously as Naru slid into the backseat. Mai refrained from commenting, still affected by the quiet words in her ear, and stoically focused on her hands in her lap. The fact that she was upgraded to the front seat was not missed by her in her chaotic euphoria brought on by his whispered words.

Naru rested his head against a propped fist and smirked as Lin pulled out of the parking lot and headed back towards the direction of the office. The idea of a relationship with Mai had always been on the back burner in his mind but as time had worn on, and she had grown on him like the invasive vine that she was, he could admit that there was a certain amount of entertainment to be had in her company. But really, he was just thankful that she was patient with him as he stumbled along through the foreign concept of dating.

"Takigawa-san sent a text to confirm that they were able to get our usual table," Lin's voice penetrated the strange mood of the vehicle and Mai let out a relieved sigh.

"That's perfect," she exclaimed in excitement. "'Our usual table'," she repeated with a chuckle as she turned her eyes back out onto the passing street, "I always wanted to be a regular somewhere."

"It's a nice feeling," Lin commented quietly with a soft smirk. He could appreciate Mai's statement as he had been a bit of a drifter back in the day. Returning to a usual haunt always had a way of making someone feel as if they belonged.

"I appreciate you guys doing this," Mai mumbled while she fiddled with her purse in her lap. "I never really had any big birthday parties. It was always just a friend or two who would take me out," she explained with a wistful smile.

"Everyone is happy with an excuse to be loud and obnoxious," Naru drawled from the back seat.

Mai and Lin shared exasperated looks before Mai chuckled.

The restaurant was packed when they arrived. There was a gathering of people outside waiting for tables and hardly any parking available in the lot. Lin opted to avoid fighting for a space and chose to pull into the office lot across the street and park in his usual spot. They walked across the street together and shuffled through the crowd into the restaurant without hesitation. As soon as they entered through the doors the sound of the city was muffled and Monk's voice could be heard over the several bits of conversation and laughter as Mai followed behind Lin's tall form. He cut a path through the crowds like Moses in the Red Sea. If Moses had an edgy haircut and demon servants at his bidding, anyways.

"The Birthday Girl has arrived!" Monk exclaimed. The statement was followed by a wolf whistle from Yasuhara himself while the others at the table smiled and waved as they approached.

"I'm glad everyone made it!" Mai cheered as she covered the remaining distance to the table and reached to give John a hug. The man had just returned from a trip back home and she hadn't seen him since their last big case.

"Happy Birthday, Mai," John stated and squeezed her back before reclaiming his seat.

"Thank you," she shot back over her shoulder while Yasu pulled her in for a hug of his own. Ayako had stood to pull Mai from his arms so she could pinch her cheeks and wish her a happy birthday as well. Mai laughed, embarrassed, and was thankfully saved by Monk when he scooped her up and carried her away from Ayako to sit down next to him.

Lin chuckled lowly and claimed a seat next to Masako, the calmest of the group, which left Naru to sit down next to Mai. She smiled at everyone at the table before she pulled a menu towards her.

"Welcome back!"

All eyes turned to their waitress, a familiar woman, and chuckled as she reached forward to ruffle Yaushara's hair. She had traded in the pink hair dye for blue that day, and her long locks were piled at the top of her head.

"It's Mai's birthday," Monk informed Joe with an award winning smile.

"What?" Joe exclaimed, "Congratulations, desserts on me tonight then!"

They place their orders with Joe and while she disappeared to get everything started, Ayako took the opportunity to set a gift bag in front of Mai excitedly. Mai blinked in surprise before she grinned and pulled the bag into her lap so that she could pull the paper out. There was a mall box at the bottom and Mai blanched. She lifted the box out of the bag and hefted it in her hand as she raised stunned eyes to Ayako.

"This is an expensive gift, Ayako, I don't know what to say," she mumbled in awe.

Ayako smiled, bittersweet, and reached around Monk to ruffle her hair. "You deserve everything the world has to offer, Mai, a nice phone that doesn't die at thirty percent is the least I could do," she assured her dryly.

Mai bit her lip but could not fight back the chuckle that escaped and set the box on the table in front of her to read over the back. "Thank you," she mumbled as her shoulders hunched up around her ears.

"Mine next," Monk stated and slid a small paper bag in front of her.

"Oh boy," Mai moaned, hoping this would not be a night filled with presents from everyone, because she did not know if she was capable of processing the amount of gratitude she knew it would invoke. But her wishes would go unheard. Monk had found her a t-shirt that simply read "Ghost Hunter" in white block text across the front and back. It had made her laugh and she had agreed to wear it on their next case, ignoring the quirked brow this earned from Naru, and set it in the bag along with her new phone. John had found her a leather cord bracelet meant to ward off evil spirits. He claimed it could protect her while she astral projected on their cases. Mai had not wasted anytime with that one and had him help her tie it on. Yasuhara had gifted her a "Utility Belt" that she could use while crawling through old creepy buildings. It was really just a fanny pack but Mai could not deny that it would be useful. She set that one in the bag along with her others gifts with a snort and a shake of her head that left the table laughing. Masako had shyly slid a small box over towards Mai next and the young woman was touched as she opened to find an ornate hair comb made from plum blossom jade. Her eyes had been misty throughout all of the exchanges, but the comb set her over the edge, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before lifting the comb to her hair and sliding it in just below her bun. A small metal and gemmed flower was still visible and added just a hint of femininity to her outfit.

"These are all so amazing guys," she murmured while clutching the bag to her chest with watery eyes.

"I do have a gift for you as well, Mai," Lin stated quietly as he offered her a small white box.

Mai lifted her hands to accept the gift with wide eyes. The table fell silent, as they were all a bit stunned at the quiet man's revelation, before they leaned forward to get a look at the contents of the box after Mai had opened it. Silver glinted in the light as Mai stared into the box before she reached in to lift the object into view for all to see.

It was a key. It was a simple house key, nothing special about it, but the implications of what it represented were enormous. Slowly, her eyes lifted to the key to meet Lin's eye and then moved over to take in the stoic man next to him who had crossed his arms and turned his head towards the window, face bare of any emotion.

"Martin and Luella purchased a large property in the area and it happened to have a mother in law suite," Lin explained lightly as Mai dropped the key into her palm and marveled at the warmth it exuded despite having only been held by her for a handful of seconds. "Luella would like you to move in and take care of the property in their absence, of course, Naru and myself will be in the main house but neither of us are that adept at keeping up with such a large property," he continued haltingly, clearly feeling a bit awkward for having to be the one to pass on the offer.

Mai hummed absently and refrained from commenting on Lin's statement. She highly doubted that the man was incapable of taking care of the housework, but she could not imagine Naru cleaning anything other than his SPR equipment. It would be a bit much . . . She was also aware that Luella was attempting to disguise the kind gesture as a request for help and it touched her heart. Luella knew her well enough to understand that she could not accept such an offer unless she had earned it.

"That's amazing," Ayako spoke up in the stunned silence.

It really was, Mai observed distantly, before she leaned forward over the table in the best bow she could provide from her seat in the large booth. With this new opportunity, she would be able to easily support herself and Rocco without the stress of budgeting all her funds away towards bills. While the pay that Naru supplied to her was more than enough, between rent, utilities, and her own expenses, she had barely been scraping by. As much as Naru cared, which she knew he did, he could not afford to provide her the pay that he did to people like Masako and John, as she was not as experienced as them. She had no prior teachings in the paranormal or any sort of resume to build off of other than her recent work with SPR directly. Over time, she knew she would be given a raise, but it was hard to say when that would be or how much it would help her in the long run. But if she could live rent free . . .

"Will you inform Luella that I am incredibly grateful and will accept her offer?" she muttered out through brimming tears.

Lin smiled kindly and reached over to grip Mai's hand reassuringly before pulling away and shooting Naru a rather satisfied look.

"And does Naru have a gift for our Mai?" Yasu prompted with an elbow jab to Lin. He had to reach across Masako to accomplish such a feat and the medium scowled from behind her sleeve.

"I don't find satisfaction in publicly parading such gestures," Naru spoke up simply, "But I do have a new case for all of you."

The table groaned as the man lifted a stack of manila folders from the booth seat at his side and dropped them on the table with a resounding thud. Mai didn't even recall him bringing them in, but then again, he had been walking behind her. She gripped the key in her hand tightly as Naru passed the folders out for everyone's convenience.

"You can't be serious," Ayako bit out but accepted the folder proffered to her thoughtlessly.

"The property in question happens to be in England," he began as he clasped his hands together and leaned back in the booth with his characteristic blank face. "As per the last international case, no one will be forced to travel, but I believe it would be a great opportunity for you all to become acquainted with BSPR itself. The owner of the property is a large supporter of our work and recently purchased the building in hopes of turning it into a historical attraction, but given its less than pristine history, he has requested the best BSPR has to offer investigate. You all should feel greatly honored that my father reached out to us first."

"Wow," Monk mouthed in awe as he opened his folder to eye the photo of the building in question.

"I'm not surprised," Yasu stated as he flipped through the papers feverishly, "We are the best looking group of paranormal investigators out there."

Naru heaved a sigh but refrained from showing any further reaction to Yasuhara's comment.

Monk was snickering as he elbowed Mai and dodged a well aimed smack up the back of his head by Ayako.

John shook his head mirthfully while he read through the articles provided dutifully. They were a great team, they all knew, and hardly any of it was due to their appearances. They were a collection of vastly different but effective abilities that, when combined, was nearly fool proof. John had witnessed them come out on top of hopeless situations more times than he could count. Where Masako's abilities to sense spirits failed, Mai's ability to learn their stories prevailed, and when those failed then Yasuhara's ability to research picked up the slack. When Ayako had no trees to rely on, Monk's cleansing and protecting chants rushed in to overcome, and should those fail, John stepped in to force any spirits out. And should any one of them trip up and fall into peril, Lin would rise up like the black knight he was with his shiki, and if they ever fell into a life and death situation, Naru was there as a last resort to blow anything away.

It was honestly astounding that they all managed to find each other. Whether or not Mai had run amuck that first case they all took on together, John was acutely aware that they would not have stayed together without her presence.

It was fitting that they were celebrating her birthday together in that moment and showering her with their gratitude.

"The property is larger than any we have investigated before, so we'll have twice the equipment to manage," Naru continued briskly. "This home, a modern palace in its time, was built to host and entertain hundreds of guests weekly, however, it was discovered that all those attending the last ball had perished overnight due to poisoning. The owner of the house, a woman by the name of Florence Wicks, was found in the courtyard where it is presumed she jumped to her death after witnessing the massacre. It is suspected that she had them all poisoned."

"Jesus," Monk exclaimed. John shot him a look and Monk bowed his head in a silent apology before turning his eyes onto the photocopy of the property image with a heavy sigh. It was a sprawling palace that boasted several large fountains and pools, now empty of any water, and spiraling towers at each end.

Mai shifted in the booth and ran a hand over the folder nervously.

"Since then, it is claimed that any who enter the property do not return. Given that workers have been present over the past couple weeks updating the electrical system and plumbing, and no one has reported anyone missing, this may be more fiction than fact," Naru added before he lifted his eyes to take in the rest of his team seriously.

"So we'll be traveling to England? For how long?" Mai questioned after the group had fallen silent. She was no longer in school, so she didn't have to worry about missing any school work, but the thought of being away from her home town for any great length of time made her nervous.

"We'll be there for two weeks," Naru answered simply as he shut the folder in front of him and slid it off to the side. "More depending on the case, but I doubt it will take us long to resolve everything. We have a month to get things in order before we are required there. Please, let me know whether or not you will be able to make the trip within the next two weeks so that we have time to purchase plane tickets."

Mai let out a relieved breath as they exited the restaurant. The atmosphere in the room had grown heavier and heavier after Naru dropping the news of their next case onto them. Sure, they were all reasonably excited to travel but, judging by their last international case, any haunting worthy enough of pulling them out of the country was going to be a hefty one.

There was a part of her that was a little miffed Naru had ruined the last bit of her birthday dinner with the case, but she understood. It was difficult to get the whole team together unless they were on a case and it was the best opportunity to discuss the possible case face to face. They had a good time, regardless, so she didn't feel the need to complain out loud.

Naru rested a hand on her back as they strode across the street while she readjusted her bag full of gifts absently. She nearly tripped over the curb as they reached the sidewalk and cursed as she caught herself with her other foot.

Naru spared her a momentary glance before lifting his head to face Lin as the man moved to unlock the car. He guided her to the front seat once more before he slid in behind and Lin started the car.

"You should start packing, you can take the week off to move into the property, and we'll hire a moving company to assist," Naru drawled while flipping through a few papers pertaining to the case.

"That seems a bit much, Naru," Mai mumbled nervously in the front seat, "I can just rent a truck. I'm sure Bou-san and Yasu would be happy to help."

Naru let out a breath through his nose and snapped the folder shut before setting it aside on the seat next to him. "My option provides optimum assistance in minimal time and I would prefer you were sorted as soon as possible so that you can travel without worry," he stated.

Mai scowled and leaned back in the seat before she lifted her hands into the air, "Fine, I'll have everything packed by Monday."

"Good," Naru said.

Naru opened the car door for her when they arrived and once she had stepped out he shut it. She paused and turned to look back curiously, brow quirked, as Naru leaned against the door with crossed arms.

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

Naru offered her a half shrug and leaned forward to place a kiss on her forehead. He pulled away, half smirk present thanks to her stunned expressed, and murmured, "Happy Birthday, Mai."

Mai nodded her thanks, dumbstruck, before she turned and shuffled back up the stairs to her apartment with gifts in hand. She could see Naru from the corner of her eye, still leaning against the car door with crossed arms, as she unlocked her door and stepped into her apartment.

Rocco greeted her with tail wagging but something out of place caught her eye as she stepped in and shut the door. There was just a bit of green peeking out from behind the entranceway wall and as she shuffled forward to get a better look, her heart stopped, and she lifted her hands to her mouth in shock.

There were dozens of plants scattered about her apartment, some sporting colorful flowers, and others heavy with draping vines. Her kitchen counters and island were practically drowned under the colorful foliage while every windowsill was laden with more than they could rightly hold. On the counter was a notecard, filled with a simple message in English that read: "_There is plenty of space at your new home to start a garden."_

Mai ran across her apartment and fumbled with the blinds over the living room window before she slid it open and leaned her head out. Naru stood below, just as he had been when she last looked, and she beamed down at him with a laugh.

"You sly dog," she called into the night and smiled sweetly when he lifted a hand before turning to open the car door and dropped into the seat. The car idled for only a moment before it pulled away and Mai shut the window before turning to take in all the flowers again. Her cheeks were scarlet and nothing could wipe the smile from her face that night. The gesture meant more than some would know. Mai's mother, before her untimely death, had been a florist. To that day, when Mai remembered her mother, her thoughts would then turn to the home they shared that had always been overflowing with flowers and their accompanying sweet smells.

She wondered what he would have done had she refused to move in with them. The thought probably hadn't even crossed his mind.

In one night, Mai had received a new home, a garden, a brand new phone, protection from evil, an antique jade comb, and a pretty cool shirt. Oh, and a fanny pack for her adventures.

What a life she lived.

"Oh, my gosh, look at John in this picture!"

Mai followed Ayako's finger as she pointed at a photo of John in his robes while Yasu and Monk appeared to be fighting over him. Yaso was cradling the priest to his chest while Monk shouted something in retaliation. John just looked mortified.

"I remember that day," John mumbled thoughtfully before he chuckled and turned the page of the photo album.

Everyone had come over to Mai's apartment to help her pack over the weekend, but as all similar situations go, they had ended up distracted when Mai had whipped out the album she had been putting together over the past few months. The photos ranged from their second case together all the way up to their trip to the US. Mai had collected them from everyone via phones and cameras before she took them to a local shop to be printed. Now they all sat on the floor huddled around the book, with the exception of the more refined members of their group (Lin, Naru, and Masako) as they were not present.

"I think that was just after the church case," Monk mumbled and he lifted his eyes in thought.

Mai chuckled as she leaned back on her palms and scanned the living room, eyeing the remaining things to be packed, and heaved a sigh. She didn't have much in the way of furniture, besides her sofa and a small mismatched coffee table, but she did have a lot of stuff. Textbooks and novels, clothes and knickknacks that she collected over the years, and a plethora of pillows and blankets. Her kitchen was another level of its own, however, and she was dreading tackling that. But Ayako and Monk were assisting her with sorting through things to be kept and things to be tossed and it was a huge help.

Monk laughed as Rocco rolled over, his head in his lap, and pawed at his chest for belly rubs.

Mai smiled before she pushed herself to her feet and dragged a box filled with textbooks toward her front door. They would be donated to the local library. She immediately regretted dumping all of the tombs into one box because it weighed a ton. Huffing and puffing, she set it aside and returned to the living room. She had tied her hair back with a bandanna but it left her brow bare of anything to catch the sweat that threatened her eyes. She wiped at the sweat while Yasuhara breezed by caring a smaller box to be stacked next to the kitchen island.

"Where's Naru and Lin? Shouldn't they be helping since it's their home you're moving into," Ayako grouched. She had flipped over another page in the album and found a picture of the two in question sitting behind a bank of monitors, thus spurring the question.

Mai shrugged, "Honestly, I can't imagine Naru would want to help with this considering he's probably going to be overseeing the actual move itself. And Lin goes where Naru goes."

Ayako snorted and turned away from the album to fold another blanket and layer it into a box by her side where the others rested. "Speaking of which, Mai," Ayako stated seriously, "If anything happens while you're there, you call me immediately."

Mai blushed and hurried over to the kitchen, which she suddenly gained the drive to tackle, and laughed nervously. "I can't imagine anything along the lines of what your mind is probably producing, but I will," she stammered as she lifted a box onto the counter and started loading it with various cooking tools.

"Such a Naru response," Yasu commented from the other side of the living room.

Monk and John laughed while Mai heaved a sigh and gave the box in front of her an indignant shove.

"Keep talking like that and no one's getting pizza," Mai grumbled.

Monday morning came much quicker than Mai would have thought. She had stepped outside onto the breezeway where she had organized all the plants Naru had gifted her, she had assured the landlord they would be moved that day, and made sure they were alright before she returned to her apartment and sat down in the middle of her living room floor. She stared at the now empty walls with a mixture of emotions swirling within her chest. The warring sadness and excitement left her a little numb, as if she couldn't believe she was apartment wasn't anything special but she had lived in it for nearly four years now and it had been her first home of her very own after moving out of her teachers house. Birthdays had been spent here, SPR had gathered here, and she had slowly rebuilt herself after a heartbreak and loss of a prominent person in her life here.

It saddened her to leave as the rooms had been filled with memories. Even if they weren't all particularly good, they were hers.

She turned to the front door as it opened, revealing Naru and Lin standing in the breezeway, and she smiled sadly.

Naru glanced about the apartment before his eyes rested on her and he moved into through the entance and kicked his shoes off. Mai gawked upon noticing that he was wearing black sneakers instead of his usual dress shoes. In fact, now that she noticed, he was wearing dark grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt as well.

"The movers will be here in a few minutes," Naru informed her casually as he strode over the once plush carpet and sat down next to her.

Lin shut the door behind him and followed Naru's example but he brought with him a bag of something delicious smelling, as well as a tray of coffees. A couple of paper plates were passed around and each of them divided up the six rice balls Lin had purchased between them. It was a meager breakfast lacking in protein but it would fill their bellies while they worked and was light enough not to leave them feeling nauseous in the heat.

Rocco sat next to Mai with his nose twitching and tail wagging.

It was probably one of Mai's favorite memories in that apartment because it was the most casual she had ever been with Lin and Naru. A part of her hoped these sort of moments would continue as they lived together. She took a sip of her coffee to hide the smile, though she was certain Naru caught it from the corner of his eye, before she adjusted her bandanna and stood.

"Ayako will be here with her jeep to help me with the plants, she said it would be best not to leave them to the movers to deal with," she spoke up as the two men watched her push a few boxes out of the way of the door.

"It should be a quick move," Lin commented lowly while swirling the coffee in his cup absently. He had only added a bit of creamer but the cashier had neglected to provide any stirrers and he did not want to bother Mai to go in search of a spoon when everything was packed away.

"Honestly, everything will probably be moved in one trip, and then I get to unpack and decorate," Mai rambled excitedly. She couldn't wait to have a home that had a yard for Rocco to run in. Not only that, but she would no longer have to deal with upstairs neighbors stomping around or being quiet for those below her.

There was a knock on the door and Mai hurried over to pull it open. An older gentleman in a baseball cap greeted her with a slight bow as he lifted a hand to pull at the bill. He looked kind enough, with warm eyes and laugh lines, and he offered her a cheery smile as he introduced himself.

"I'm told we've got a young lady to move today," he stated while Mai stepped back to pull the door further open to reveal the apartment. "It's good to see you're fully packed!" he crowed with a laugh as he stepped in and placed his hands on his hips, "I can't tell you how many times we've shown up and people are still in the process of boxing everything up."

Mai laughed and rubbed the back of her head bashfully, "I can't imagine. I wanted to be as courteous as possible given how physically demanding the job is."

"I appreciate it, Taniyama-san," the man replied before he stepped forward to greet Naru as he approached. The two men shook hands before the mover, named Hiro, called in the rest of his crew who immediately filed in to tackle the large furniture first.

Mai moved into the kitchen to be out of the way and marveled at the movers who made quick work of her furniture in record time. Between their trips up and down the stairs Naru and Lin had already begun shuffling the stacked boxes down into the parking lot. They set them down so that the movers would not have to make as many trips up to the apartment and save everyone some time.

"You know they make boxes specifically for moving books," Naru drawled dryly as he passed the kitchen hefting a large box in his arms, "They're small so as to prevent this."

Mai stuck her tongue out at him before she pulled a box of cold water bottles from the fridge and set them out on the counter for everyone. Rocco was tied to the fridge handle by his leash to prevent him from getting in the way while everyone was trekking through the apartment and he whined pitifully as Mai moved around him. She heard Naru grunt as he stepped out of the door with the box of books and could not stifle the snicker that escaped.

"Wow, Naru, I didn't know you had actual muscles," Mai heard Ayako comment from the breezeway before she stepped over the threshold and scanned the apartment with a sigh. She looked fresh and casual that morning with her red locks piled in a bun at the top of her head, sunglasses pushed up, and wearing denim capris and a black tank top.

"I know, I wish I could hire movers every time I have to move, they're so quick," Mai spoke up, causing the woman to turn in her direction.

"I'll say," Ayako shrugged and moved over to drop her purse onto the kitchen counter. "Why don't we start loading up the jeep with all those plants so we can get out of here," Ayako proposed before cracking open a water bottle.

"Sure thing," Mai chirped in response and led Ayako back out into the breezeway.

"I still can't believe he did this," Ayako muttered with a smirk as she reached down for a plant and ran her fingers through its leaves lovingly.

"Me either," Mai shot back with a laugh and hefted a pot in each arm before standing, "It's a good thing I agreed to move in, otherwise I'd have all these and nowhere to put them." She turned to head down the stairs but her path was unexpectedly blocked by a tall figure who reached out to steady her by her elbows and smoothly spun them about so that Mai was once again on the correct path towards the stairs.

"Three years and you're still just as clumsy," Naru observed in exasperation.

Mai blushed and clutched the plants to her chest under his scrutiny while Ayako let out a laugh. "Leave her be," she warned teasingly as she shoved one of the plants into Naru's arms. The man gripped the pot instinctively and, surprisingly, did not scowl at Ayako. He simply let out a light sigh and turned to move past Mai and down the stairs. They watched as he reached her jeep, the back door opened, and set the pot down before wiping his brow. "And here I was worried he wouldn't make a good husband," Ayako commented.

Lin breezed past them with an amused scoff, "Well, if that's all it takes . . ."

Ayako's jeep was filled to the brim with plants by the time they were done and the movers were pulling out of the parking lot. She offered to follow the movers so that she could start working on organizing the plants as soon as possible and Mai passed her house key over to her before she turned to the two remaining men with a satisfied sigh.

"That was quicker than expected," Mai said.

Naru ran a hand through his hair, now wet with sweat, before he gestured towards Lin's car wordlessly. Lin moved to start the car while Mai climbed the stairs one more time to get Rocco. The dog trotted down the stairs at her side, tail wagging, and butted Naru's leg as they passed.

Mai flopped in the backseat of the vehicle, already blowing cold air into its interior, and Rocco sat down by her head panting. She hadn't done much of the heavy lifting but the heat had certainly gotten to her quickly enough and her eyes grew heavy as the car gently rocked her into a light nap.

Mai dreamt of her old house. The one she had lived in with her mother and father. Time had stretched and warped some of the details, leaving them fuzzy and a bit disjointed, but the front hall looked the same as she remembered. There was a small table near the door where her mother's prized bonsai tree sat, tiny and majestic, its twisted trunk illuminated in the dim light that streamed in through the windows next to the door. Mai looked down and stepped out of her shoes before she moved forward hesitantly. The air felt heavy and quiet, like that of any long abandoned building mourning the loss of its occupants, but she could smell familiar seasonings that her mother had favored cooking with.

There was the sound of pots and pans clanking about on the stove and a woman peeked her head out from the kitchen doorway with a quirked brow. Her hair was long and curled and gently floated through the air as a smile spread across her delicate but wild face. She had sharp eyes and arched brows that leant her a royal appearance that, when combined with her wild hair and joyful nature, often likened her to a wood nymph. Mai had always wondered why her mother did not have pointed ears.

"What are you doing here, silly?" she cooed as she stepped out into the hall while wiping her hands on a dishrag.

"I missed you," Mai answered quietly with a shrug.

Her fingers trembled at her sides.

"I'm always right here, little Mai, I'm not going anywhere," her mother assured her and pulled her into a light hug.

Mai's eyes watered.

"I hear you are going to be living with a handsome young man now, Mai, how did that happen?" she tittered teasingly while lifting Mai's chin to examined her face and tug at her hair playfully.

"It's a long story," Mai stammered with a shaky smile.

"I know," she said with a light sigh and a small frown, "I've picked up on a bit here there." She fell silent for a moment before lifting her hands in the air and shook them about to dispel the atmosphere, "I always knew you would do amazing things, though, so it's no surprise. You remember what I taught you for new homes?"

Mai nodded dutifully, "Boil water and cinnamon with the windows open."

"Good girl," she murmured and reached up to ruffle her hair. "Make some good soup the first night and share with everyone to fill the place with company and laughter. And put your books up first thing. Wash your clothes and you better have dusted everything before moving it . . ."

Mai laughed and wiped at her eyes, "I did."

"Alright," her mother said quietly, "I think you're ready."

The words were happy but weighed down with forlorn longing. Her mother twisted the rag in her hands before she flapped them about again and spun Mai around towards the door. "Don't waste anymore time here, Mai, go, and have fun," she urged her cheerily as Mai slid her shoes back on automatically and reached for the door handle.

Mai paused to turn back to her mother, "I love you," she mumbled haltingly.

_"I love you too, little Mai."_

Her eyes opened just as Naru was opening the car door and reaching in to shake her shoulder. She caught his hand in hers and pushed herself into a seated position, feet dangling out of the car, as she wiped her eyes. Naru stood over her, fingers intertwined with hers, and watched as she scrubbed the tears from her face with a frown. Rocco leaned forward to snuffle her face and she chuckled tiredly before reaching up with her other hand to scratch the top of his head.

"What's wrong, Mai?" he asked quietly. Outside of the car, movers were finishing up with the process and Ayako was speaking to Lin in the driveway, waiting on them to finish. He shifted to block it all from her sight.

"Nothing," Mai assured him and stood with a heavy sigh. She lifted her eyes to his, noting the way he looked at her patiently, before she dropped her gaze to the grass in front of her. "I dreamed of my mother . . ." she answered quietly.

Naru rested a hand on top of her head, much like her mother hand done in her dreams, before he pulled her into his shoulder for a quick embrace. Mai relaxed with her forehead resting along his collar and heaved a shaky sigh. He smelled a bit like sweat but the freshly laundered shirt and scent of pine from something he used prevailed. Always perfect, this one, Mai thought with a roll of her eyes. But it was nice, to be held by him, and her hazy eyes fixed on the grass below absently. The sound of his heartbeat filled her ears and the warmth he exuded calmed her mind.

"Let's get you unpacked," he murmured in her ear and stepped away so that she and Rocco could move up the driveway and he could close the door.

Mai pulled at Rocco's leash and guided him over to Lin and Ayako who looked over in their direction as they approached. Rocco trotted along beside her while she lifted her eyes to the property in awe. The first thing her brain registered was that it was three stories tall and very modern. It had a large second story deck that looked out over the rest of the sloping neighborhood and large welcoming double doors. Wide pavestones cut a path around to the back of the house where some of the movers could be seen carrying the last of the boxes to their destination.

"Holy crap," she mumbled in awe while Ayako snorted with crossed arms.

"It's certainly something," the woman grumbled, "I don't think my house growing up was even this nice and my parents were loaded."

"Why don't you go and take a look at your new home, Mai?" Lin recommended quietly.

Mai grinned from ear to ear before she hurried after the movers with an excited Rocco at her heels. The path led her through a tall gated white fence and spat her out into a sprawling backyard filled with large boulders and grass. Trees lined the yard for privacy sake and their tall branches threw cool shade over the yard and large back patio of the house. But more importantly, her new home. The mother in-law suite was much smaller than the actual house but it was built in much the same way. Cement white walls and a pair of welcoming dark wood doors stood atop a cement foundation. The movers were shuffling in just as she stepped up onto the small front porch and slipped inside.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered.

The building was two stories. The first floor comprised of a living room, kitchen, half bathroom, and a laundry room. There was even a little office nook on the other side of the kitchen with large windows that looked out into the trees and backyard. But her favorite part was the large loft bedroom that looked out onto the living room. A set of stairs to her right led up to her new bedroom and she climbed them excitedly while Rocco sniffed about with perked ears.

Her bedroom was already set up just as it had been in her old apartment, minus her bed sheets and wall décor, but there was far more space to move about. She kept Rocco at her side as she shuffled into the bathroom, all white tile and dark oak cabinets, and nearly cried at the sight of a shower stall and a claw foot bathtub.

"We're all done!"

Mai walked back out into the bedroom and leaned over the railing just as Hiro waved a quick goodbye to her before stepping out of the door while the rest of the movers filed out after him. The living room was stacked with boxes between her couch and bookshelves.

"I'm jealous," she could hear Ayako state as the woman stepped into the small house.

"I'm a little overwhelmed," Mai admitted sheepishly and she descended the stairs into the living room. The kitchen was tucked away under the loft bedroom and, much like the bathroom, comprised of white tile and dark wood. Solid white porcelain countertops gleamed in the overhead lighting.

"Don't you worry," Ayako waved her off as she lifted a box marked 'Kitchen' and brought it into the mentioned area to be set on the counter, "We'll get you settled and it will feel just right."

It was only noon, Mai realized as she and Ayako got to work on putting everything away in the kitchen. They would have plenty of time to get everything sorted so she spared a moment to set a pot of water and cinnamon on the stove to boil while she flitted about opening all the windows she could. Ayako only quirked a brow at her actions while she lifted plates into cabinets and shoved the rest of the pots and pans away.

There was a knock on the door before Lin entered and gave the place a quick once over before turning his attention to the women. "I'm going to run to the store to pick up supplies for the house, do you need anything?"

"Ah, yes!" Mai exclaimed before she dove into one of many boxes and pulled out a cook book. "I wanted to make dinner for everyone tonight," she explained while she flipped through the pages carefully. The book was old and had several loose leaf pages with hand written recipes scattered about it. Mai paused on one page in particular and lifted it from the book thoughtfully, eyes scanning the list of required ingredients, before she handed it over to Lin. "I should have enough for this," Mai murmured and sifted through her purse on the counter for a moment.

Lin and Ayako shared a smile before Mai turned about with a bill in hand and passed it to Lin.

"I'll be back shortly," Lin assured her before disappearing.

"I'll invite Monk over," Ayako stated while Mai emptied the last kitchen box.

"That would be perfect," Mai replied in kind.

It took them two hours to get everything sorted which, to Mai, was surprising. The unpacking part of the process was much quicker than packing but she supposed it made sense. She had gotten rid of so much thank to Ayako's organizational skills. The priestess was currently seated in her living room flipping through channels on the recently set up TV while she waited on Monk to arrive. Lin had returned to drop off her requested supplies and a pot of Japanese chicken noodle soup was boiling away on the stove as Mai sat on her bed staring at the walls of her new room. Everything was so new. Even the carpet still had that pleasing new scent.

Mai had taken some time to rinse off all the sweat of the day while Rocco continued to scope out his new home. He was able to navigate the stairs, thankfully, as he had much practice thanks to Mai's second story apartment.

She had pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt, the rest of her clothes already cycling through the washer machine, and combed out her still wet hair by the time someone knocked on the front door. Rocco let out a cheerful bark and Ayako calmed him before shouting for whoever it was to come in.

"Whoa!" Monk's voice filtered up to Mai as she hurried down the stairs.

The five of them, six including Rocco, shared dinner that night around the kitchen island. There was much laughter at Mai, and surprisingly Naru's, expense that night but Mai was just happy for the pleasing sound that filled her new home.

Mother always knew best.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N ~ Alrighty peeps, the case is about to begin, but first, our lovable team must travel. This is mostly further set up for the big case but there are lots of silly moments that will play a part in later chapters. Enjoy! _

It was Monk doing the herding this time around as they all shuffled through the airport in a mass of bodies, bags, and foul attitudes. John was too tired to be their shepherd due to the fact that they had left late in the evening and had all been up for twenty-four hours or more, depending on their schedules. Monk, who was quite used to late hours due to his profession, was still up and coherent with just a single cup of coffee.

Mai was dragging her feet, but she was still present mentally, as Naru breezed past her with phone in hand and held before his face. The man was supernaturally aware of his surroundings, she was certain, because as much as she had wished he would run into something, he never did. He stepped over luggage and glided past the other travelers without any sense of hesitation. She wasn't jealous. Maybe.

"Yasu, please bring John back here, he's confused again," Monk called over their heads with an exasperated sigh.

Yasu turned to look back and spotted John standing among another group of seven or so assorted Japanese tourists of varying heights. "I want to be offended but it's John," Yasu forced out through a fit of laughter before he hurried over to grab the priest by the arm and drag him back.

Mai giggled and shared a mirthful glance with Masako, clad in her favorite red kimono and blue obi, before she hefted her bag and checked to make sure Rocco's leash was still attached to her belt. Naru had been able to have him registered as an emotional support animal, which was a huge help when it came to travel, given that he had become such a prominent member of the team. Since Mai's abilities to astral project did not qualify as a medical condition, Rocco was not permitted to go through the training to become a fully fledged service animal, but his ability to protect her empty body was still sorely needed during cases. Mai thought it best, as she did not want to abuse the system after learning more about it, and potentially impact the public view of service animals. Any client they take is advised upon interview that they have a large dog on the team who would be present during investigations and to let them know if it would be an issue.

Rocco was just happy to get pets from all their clients and related friends and family. He was very obedient and gentle with everyone, Mai personally made sure of that, again, so as not to negatively impact public view of service animals.

Mai stretched, letting out a relieved sigh as her spine realigned itself after spending hours cramped in a plane, and dutifully followed Monk as he led the way down a flight of stairs towards pick up.

Just like last time, they were greeted by an excited Madoka in a large black van supplied by BSPR.

"Hey guys!" the woman called them as they stepped out into the grey daylight of London. It was a bit chillier than it had been in Japan and Mai was grateful she had chosen to wear a large grey sweater, accompanied with black leggings and boots, or she might have suffered.

They offered tired but somewhat cheery greetings in return but Madoka turned her attentions to Lin, who she threw herself at, causing the man to nearly drop his laptop bag in the process of catching her. Madoka laughed while Lin grunted under the added weight. The two hadn't seen each other since Lin had proposed to her and they were all certain it had been killing Madoka not to be able to be by his side at all times possible. She had sent them plenty of photos of her ring as well as ideas for bachelorette parties and bridal showers. Though the girls of JSPR were not going to be part of the bridal party they were invited to participate in all the events to come.

Naru stepped forward to pull the van door open and wordlessly hurry their party along. They all stumbled forward to squeeze into the van which happened to be surprisingly spacious on the inside. Lin claimed the front seat, and Mai, Yasuhara, and Naru the first row as per their last international. But with the addition of Masako the arrangement differed from there. She had chosen to sit next to John, who promptly slumped against the window and shut his eyes to the world, while Ayako and Monk sat in the very back. It worked out nicely, as their arguments would be muffled by the distance and with Rocco between them, they couldn't even touch each other to spark irritation.

"And once again, Mai, we find ourselves in the same position. How do we let things keep coming between us?" Yasu lamented as Madoka giggled in the front seat.

Mai snorted while Naru let out a sigh.

"This is giving me a strong case of déjà vu, now that you mention it," Mai agreed thoughtfully as she lifted her eyes to the rest of the van.

"We are creatures of habit," Yasuhara drawled while he leaned his head against the window with a tired sigh. "I'm going to laugh if this case is another love triangle."

Mai scowled and reached across Naru, ignoring the way he stiffened momentarily, and smacked Yasuhara on the shoulder. The man let out a squawk before he laughed under her barrage and lifted his arms in defense.

Monk let out a bark of laughter from the back that had Ayako groaning in annoyance at the loud noise.

John startled, having only fallen asleep seconds ago, and let out a grunt when he knocked his head on the window.

"Are you alright, John-san?" Masako questioned quietly with a sleeve lifted to hide the slightest of smiles. Priest he may be, but the whole team was aware of just how adorable John was. It was why none of them could ever bring themselves to be angry or annoyed with him.

"M' good," he mumbled while lifting a hand to rub at his face. He glanced about the van momentarily before crossing his arms and leaning back in the seat to shut his eyes once more.

"Are we going straight to the property, Naru?" Mai asked the man sitting next to her quietly as the van fell silent. The pull of exhaustion was too great and the majority of the passengers had shut their eyes against the rainy day outside of the van.

Naru lifted a hand to rub at his mouth before he glanced up at Madoka, who offered a small shrug in answer, and sighed. "We'll be stopping at my parent's house before setting out tomorrow," he responded quietly. The thought of ushering everyone into his childhood home was exhausting in and of itself but he was all too aware that setting up base in SPR's current state would be even more so. The best course of action was to make sure everyone was fully rested before setting foot on a haunted property.

They did have an image to uphold now.

"Will your mom be there?" Mai asked excitedly. She had loved getting to know Luella and the woman had offered her so much kindness it was enough to break her heart, the thought of seeing her again shoved the last vestiges of exhaustion from her body.

"I would assume," Naru shot back and offered her a quirk of his lips before he returned to reviewing the case file in his lap.

Mai leaned back against the window with her hands clasped and posture straight before she turned back curiously and opened her mouth.

"Twenty minutes, Mai," Naru spoke up before she could even voice her question and smirked again when he heard her teeth click shut. She was so predictable.

"The dog keeps breathing in my face," Ayako grouched from the back seat.

The rest of the car ride went by in relative silence while everyone was lost in their thoughts. Nerves over the upcoming case were only settled by the thought of a decent night's sleep and there was not much else to be discussed, so no one even bothered to open their mouths. Madoka glanced back at them through the rearview mirror periodically just to make sure everyone was alive but when they had finally pulled through the gated driveway of the Davis household she could not resist jerking the vehicle to a stop and loudly proclaiming, "We're here!"

The passengers were all jostled awake or startled and allowed their complaints to be heard as Madoka jumped out of the car to greet the approaching Luella with open arms. All the while shouts and grumbling could be heard spilling forth from the vehicle. She may as well have kicked a beehive.

Mai laughed as she pulled the door open and jumped down onto the gravel driveway with a relieved sigh. She reached back for her suitcase but found that Naru had already set it on the ground next to her. She smiled at him in gratitude before jumping to attention as Ayako guided Rocco out of the van.

"I'll take him, Ayako, thank you for keeping him company," she schmoozed.

"You're welcome," Ayako grouched and passed her the leash hurriedly.

Mai watched as the woman pulled her bag and suitcase from the van before marching up the driveway to greet Luella while Monk trailed behind her with a hand thrown behind his head. He had only packed one suitcase, thankfully, but he was also lugging Ayako's duffel at his side. Mai distantly heard him mumble to Ayako: "Why don't we get a dog?" To which the woman rolled her eyes and waved him away, causing the man to laugh.

"I can't wait to relax," Mai groaned as she stretched for the second time that day. Her shoulders popped before she nudged Naru and trekked up the path to give Luella a hug. "How are you?" she asked excitedly as the woman wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm well!" Luella stated happily and looked Mai over. The action sent a pang through Mai's heart as she gripped her chin much like her mother had done in her dream all those weeks ago but she wiped it away and plastered a smile over top of it like any pro. "Did you get moved in? Is everything going well?" she questioned her as they walked side by side up towards the front door of the sprawling property.

"The place is amazing, I feel like a princess," Mai admitted with a laugh.

"I'm glad, you deserve it, dear," Luella patted her shoulder before she pushed the door open and gestured Mai, as well as the rest of the trailing SPR group, into the home.

Mai guessed she really shouldn't have been surprised to have been pushed into a grand foyer with an equally as grand staircase, but she was. It was obviously an old house built to impress and, with attentive hands, had aged very well.

"We have three guest bedrooms and plenty of couches so don't hesitate. . ."

Mai could hear Luella speaking but as she allowed the house to fill her sense, the woman's voice grew distant, and the memories within the home swelled forth to greet her. Not that she could view them, as there were no spirits present, but she could feel the emotions. There was a gentle happiness here, she thought absently, tapered with melancholy but altogether stronger for it. Happiness that could rise up over the despair of life was something to take great comfort in. It was the same atmosphere that had prevailed within her mother's home when she was growing up. It was familiar. It was comfortable. And it felt like home. Even the air, carrying the scent of books and carpeting, eased whatever tension may have been building within her during their trip over.

"Mai . . ." Naru called to her from her left.

Mai turned her head, surprised to find him standing directly next to her, and smiled. "It's nice, Naru, it feels like home," she whispered while the others gathered in the foyer chattering away. Luella was playing an excellent host, answering all of their questions and instructing them on where to go, but it was not enough to break Mai from the trance that she had fallen in.

Naru rested a hand upon her back, pulling her a bit closer to him, before he guided her towards the stairs. "Would you like to wash up and take a nap before dinner?" he asked her quietly.

"That sounds amazing," she murmured as they ascended the stairs, Rocco trailing behind her hesitantly, and turned down a hallway that was lit with wall sconces and a single reading nook with a large window. The floorboards creaking lovingly beneath their feet as they walked, worn from years of use but well polished.

"You can stay in Gene's room, I'm sure he wouldn't mind," he said as he pulled a door open to reveal a bright bedroom. Two large windows looked out onto the street and allowed the grey light in while a lamp on a side table spilled forth its gentle warmth with a quick flip of a switch. The floor was covered by a large green rug and the bed and drapes sported similar greens. The sloping wooden ceiling only served to provide a cozier feel to the room. "The bathroom is right through this door," he explained as he stepped forward and flipped the lights of the bathroom on.

Mai watched as he disappeared and smiled once the sound of running water filtered out to her before she stepped in and set her suitcase down at the foot of the bed. Rocco's leash was unhooked so that he could sniff about the room freely and she watched him for a moment in amusement. She sat down with a tired sigh, pleased that the bed sunk beneath her weight comfortably, and pulled her boots off of her feet.

She glanced about the room, taking in all the books and knickknacks that had never been removed, and reached for Gene in the back of her mind. They couldn't communicate while she was awake just yet, though they had been working on it, but she could feel the faintest brush of emotions against the back of her mind. Happiness and comfort. He was glad to host her in his home, it would seem.

Naru appeared in the bathroom doorway and paused to watch her for a moment. When she had turned her eyes back to him he stepped forward and kissed the top of her head.

Mai smiled tiredly up at him before he said, "My room is right next door if you need anything."

Mai nodded in understanding and watched as the man left the room and quietly shut the door behind him. She sat for a moment longer before deciding to check out the bathtub while pondering Naru's odd behavior. She tried to recall if she had complained out loud, at some point, about his lack of affection but nothing came to mind. Maybe it had something to do with his research, she theorized tiredly, as he had stopped working on it after the day he had taken her out to lunch. Had that been his way of celebrating the completion of his project?

"You're rooms pretty cozy," Mai stated as she stepped out onto the astral plane in front of Gene.

"It's my batcave," Gene agreed with a laugh. He had shoved his hands into his pockets as she approached but he reached forward to give her a hug once she was within reach. It had been a few weeks since they had last seen each other, due to the lack of cases, and he had missed her smile. You got tired of speaking to a grumpier version of yourself after a while and Mai was the perfect remedy.

"The whole house is amazing," Mai continued as she stepped back, "It feels like my old home."

"I thought so too when we first moved in, I thought it was too good to be true," he murmured as he ruffled her hair. "Noll told me you guys have a big case coming up . . ." he trailed off imploringly.

"Yes," Mai chirped, "I'm just glad to be working again. I figured we had another important one coming up since Naru hadn't taken any back in Japan for a while. Have you seen the place? It looks like a forgotten fairytale."

"I know of it," Gene responded with a light frown, "I've got to be honest, I'm a little nervous about this one. I know the last one was no joke but . . ."

"Is it that bad?" Mai questioned nervously. She wrung her hands together while Gene spoke.

"It just feels . . .wrong? I went there once, on a dare, but I never went inside. People have gone missing there in the past. But it felt strange. Not exactly haunted, more like . . ." he trailed off again while he searched for the words, "More like a spider. Lying in wait."

Mai blanched and heaved a shaky sigh before she leveled him with a rueful look that only served to make him laugh. "On that confident note, I think I might try and get some actual sleep before we prance right into the lion's den," she muttered.

"It'll be alright, Mai, I'll be there with you every step of the way," Gene assured her with a kind smile.

Mai gave him another hug before she retreated into true sleep. Snuggled beneath the heavy comforter and swathed in the comfortable darkness of Gene's room, she felt more safe than she ever had before a case.

She didn't dream during her nap but it still took a few knocks on the door for Naru to wake her. She was just rolling over and attempting to hide under the covers when he opened the door with an annoyed furrow between his brows. Mai groaned as he stepped forward and rested a hand atop her head comfortingly.

"Come on, Mai, mother wants everyone downstairs for dinner," he said and sighed when she finally pulled the covers down to stare at him groggily. "You can sleep afterwards," he added temptingly.

Mai giggled as she pushed the covers off of her and sat up. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Naru had just resorted to bribery to get her moving, and it tickled her. She dropped her hands onto the bed next to her while she tossed her gaze about in search of her suitcase.

Rocco slept on throughout their conversation, soft breaths tickling the comforter under his nose, while Naru scowled at the sight of the dog sleeping on the bed.

Naru glanced about before he pulled the suitcase out from under the bed and lifted it onto the comforter for Mai's convenience and in an effort to hurry the process along. "Just put on some jeans, Mother is rather casual at home," he advised and gave her figure a quick once over, noting that she had opted to wear pajama shorts and a t-shirt for a nap.

Mai yawned and nodded in response before lazily waving Naru away so that she could get changed.

Naru retreated from the room after leveling her with a warning look, daring her to try and go back to sleep, and she slid out of her shorts to replace them with a pair of leggings just to be spiteful. She pulled her baggy grey sweater back on over her head before padding out of the room in her socks with Rocco at her side to head downstairs. She allowed the distant chatter of the rest of the JSPR team to guide them to the kitchen where some had gathered.

"The sleepyhead has arisen," Luella exclaimed as Mai entered the room and laughed when the girl blushed lightly, before she stepped around the kitchen island and ushered Mai into the dining room. A large table took up the center of the room and almost everyone was already seated around it nursing cups of mulled wine or coffee.

Rocco's nose was going crazy as he took in all the new scents.

"Did you solve the case, Mai?" Yasuhara asked as she claimed a seat next to him. Rocco settled under the table at her feet quietly.

Mai scowled and resisted the urge to elbow him, "No, we haven't even gotten there yet!"

Yasu groaned and flopped back in his chair, "I was hoping we could walk right in, tell them what's what, and then spend the rest of the two weeks sightseeing."

"In your dreams," Ayako muttered from where she sat on the other side of the table.

"No, in Mai's dreams," Yasu shot back in mock confusion.

"That's how you get smacked, Yasu," Monk stage whispered.

Masako dropped her gaze to the table as Ayako seethed and John laughed nervously, attempting to dispel the rising anger. After a light nap, he seemed to be back in good spirits, while the rest of the group had just grown more obnoxious.

Naru sat down at the table next to his father, who was looking over some paperwork pertaining to the case, but made no comment on their behavior. There was no point. His parents had already been exposed to their unprofessionalism but had still deemed them worthy of the case. Naru saw no reason to try and keep them in check in his own home. At least they weren't in public.

Mai sighed quietly but turned as Luella entered the room carrying what looked like a pot roast and Madoka followed with a bowl of mashed potatoes in one arm and a bowl of salad in the other. The ladies worked to get everything sorted and at some point during their flurry of very much awake movement, Mai had found a glass of mulled wine in front of her. She reached for it hesitantly before taking a small sip and humming in pleasure. It was warm and tangy on her tongue and blossomed in her stomach.

"You can have one glass, but after that you get water," Ayako warned and Mai nodded with a cheesy grin.

Luella sat down at the other head of the table, next to Mai, and gave her a quick smile before she urged everyone to dig in. It was another flurry of movement while everyone served themselves and took their first bites of Luella's cooking.

It was amazing.

Mai hadn't had such a home cooked meal before, at least, not that she could recall. It was simple but the mashed potatoes were so buttery and smooth and the roast beef was packed with flavor. She wanted to keep eating even after she had cleaned her plate so filled it once more with salad while the others talked around her.

"It was delicious, Luella, thank you for cooking such a meal," John spoke up after he had finished. He had taken a moment to offer up a prayer before digging in like the others around him.

"You're all welcome, I've missed the energy you bring to the table, things have been quiet since we returned home and I was excited to hear you all would be coming to London," Luella responded. She paused for a moment, eyes cast down to her plate in thought, before she looked up and gave them all a smile.

She misses having children in the house, Mai thought, and knew it to be true. Just as she knew Naru would call the day he asked her to join him in reopening SPR. Without thought, she reached out to grip Luella's hand and smiled in support. "Maybe we can come over more often, make it a once a year thing, now that I'm not paying rent I can set aside money for it," Mai offered quietly.

"I would love that," Luella stage whispered and Mai chuckled.

"How have your abilities been progressing, Mai?" Martin spoke up from the other end of the table. He pulled the reading glasses from the bridge of his nose and set some of the papers aside to get a good look at her. Martin was a decent man, Mai knew, but he left her feeling rather uncomfortable on occasion. He was a true scientist but he often ignored social cues and would push for information where Naru, after years of working with Mai, had learned when to fall back. Still, he had been more than happy to work out a deal with Mai that still allowed her to live her life and enjoy her privacy.

"There hasn't been much to report," Naru answered curtly. It was obvious to those at the table that Naru did not feel it was a good time to push Mai for information when they had a large case to tackle tomorrow.

"I haven't had much of an opportunity to see just how much I'm capable of since our last case together," Mai spoke up after Naru, casting him a quirked brow for answering for her, before she turned back to Martin, "We haven't had anything too difficult since."

Martin hummed and pulled the papers back thoughtfully for further review. Mai rolled her eyes and shared an exasperated look with Luella before returning to her salad. It amazed her how much the two men were alike. All work and no play, with little concern for anything else. Mai was certain that even if they were brought along on an all-expense paid vacation on a secluded island without internet they would find some way to get some work done. They'd probably train seagulls to carry research papers back to BSPR.

Once the table was cleared and dishes were done, JSPR disbanded to their assigned sleeping arrangements, and the house fell silent once more. The quiet atmosphere was only broken every once and a while by hushed whispers and the squeaking of a floorboard or two as the more restless of the group settled. Mai listened to it all as she laid down in Gene's bed once more facing the ceiling. Little glow in the dark stars and planets had been carefully placed among the dark wood to imitate the darkness of space and she wondered how often Gene had stayed up at night, eyes flicking between the small pinpricks of left over light, waiting for sleep to take him away into his dreams.

She was so nervous about the upcoming case that she was finding it hard to close her eyes, fearful of what dreams she would witness, as she was certain they would not be the pleasant disjointed recollection of information gathered throughout the day.

She really did feel as if they were about to walk into the lion's den and she worried it would be the one case SPR did not return from, solved or not.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the quiet creak of the bedroom door and she gripped the edge of the comforter, frozen in paranoia, before she let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Naru. He held a candle in his hand as he slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. Mai quirked a curious brow, not that she was unhappy to see him, but confused as to why he had chosen to visit her in the dead of night with a candle as if he himself were a ghost from years long past.

Rocco lifted his head from where he laid, curled by Mai's feet, and whined with a wag of his tail.

Naru set the candle down on the bedside table before he settled at the edge of the bed with a sigh and clasped his hands together in a clinical but thoughtful pose.

"What's wrong?" Mai asked worriedly. She shuffled into a more elevated position so that she could get a better look at him in the provided candle light. He looked tired, but then again, he had looked tired for a long while and she doubted a day of travel would do him any good in catching up on rest.

Naru turned his head to look back at her, eyes searching in that cold and logical way of his, before he reached over to grip one of her hands in his. His skin was cold to the touch but it soon warmed with her provided body heat as he seemed to gather his thoughts.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior after we returned from America," he began quietly and turned to look back at the carpet beneath his feet, "I didn't mean to make you feel as if my feelings had diminished in any way . . ."

Mai's brows furrowed in confusion but she twisted their hands together to interlace their fingers.

"Social norms and physical contact have never been my strong suite," he continued with a grimace, "That was always Gene's area."

Mai gasped, causing the man to lift his eyes to her in confusion, before she grinned mischievously and said: "The great Naru admitting his flaws? I never thought I would see the day."

Naru scowled and turned away from her, "It is not a flaw, merely something I do not yet have a suitable amount of experience in."

"That sounds more like you," Mai drawled dryly before she laughed.

Naru smirked but lifted his other hand to rub at his mouth in an effort to hide it from view. It was almost as bad as Masako with her kimono sleeve.

"I know you don't like physical contact all that much, Naru, you don't have to apologize," Mai assured him gently, her eyes flicking about the profile of his face, before she smiled and ran a thumb across the back of his hand in an effort to reassure him.

"I don't mind physical contact," he corrected quietly, "I've just never had much of it."

Mai tightened her hold on his hand and offered him a reassuring smile even while her heart wept at his statement. His childhood and abilities prevented him from having many opportunities of physical affection, she understood, but was glad he was making the effort with her.

Naru pushed himself to his feet and moved over towards the towering bookshelf in the room while he scanned the titles of the various volumes that lined its shelves. His fingers hovered over each book before they settled on one and he pulled it from its nestled nook smoothly and turned back to the bed to reclaim his seat. Sensing what he was attempting to do, Mai scooted over on the bed until her back nearly touched the wall. Naru leaned back against the pillows and headboard, legs crossed at the ankle above the comforter, and lifted an arm for her to move up under it. Mai complied with a blushing grin and rested her head on his chest while he settled his arm around her shoulders and flipped the book open to a dog eared page with his other hand.

"I need to breath, Mai," he commented dryly.

Mai loosened her arms around him with a suffering sigh.

He wanted to read by candlelight, she thought with a giggle before she shut her eyes against the gently flickering light and listened to the sound of his heart beating beneath her ear. It was steady and reassuring and the combined warmth of their bodies eased her mind like nothing else could. She pulled the comforter up to her ear as his gentle breathing lulled her into a light doze, fears of the upcoming case forgotten for a moment, while his eyes skimmed through the words before him but struggled to process the information. He was too focused on the gentle warmth on his chest and the softness of her breathing.

It was nerve-racking and new but he could not deny the calmness it instilled upon the storm ridden sea that was his heart. The clouds were still there but the waves dwindled to gentle ripples and the torrential downpour that bled the horizon together slowed to a drizzle.

He took a breath and dropped the book onto the bed.

_"Will you stay?"_

Mai's eyes shot open and found early morning light spilling in through the large windows. It illuminated the bedroom in soft grey light and crawled across the comforter delicately until it stopped just above her head. The room was quiet and, based off of the lack of any other noise from the house itself, she assumed that everyone was still asleep or just in the process of dragging themselves back into the waking world as she was. She took a moment to enjoy the light morning air, rife with the smell of books and freshly laundered sheets, and filled her lungs while her mind processed the words that had filtered in through her mind in her sleep. They had sounded so real that she had expected a woman to be standing right over the bed. But there was no one.

But then the surface beneath her shifted and the arm around her shoulders tightened momentarily and she blushed.

Naru had come in to read last night, and she had fallen asleep, and now it was brought to her attention that he had as well.

She didn't want to move. She could not recall ever being so comfortable in her life and the only thing she could compare that moment to was being held in her mother's arms as a child. She felt safe and warm and the sleepiness that still clung to her body melded her to Naru's side like hot glue. Judging by his soft breaths, he was still asleep, and she was loathe to wake him when he had gotten so little rest recently.

She closed her eyes again and let the quiet of the early morning lull her back into a doze while her mind wandered back to the words that had slipped through her dreams. It had been such a sad voice, filled with so much loneliness, that her heart ached with the need to comfort whoever had spoken. "Will you stay?" was such a desperate question when punctuated with the sound of a tight throat filled with emotions. It had warbled and petered out, like the person had been crying, and begging for someone not to leave them. Someone who didn't want to be alone. . . Something that she was painfully familiar with as she struggled with her mother's death alone.

"Mai."

She opened her eyes to find Naru leaning over her, a hand resting upon her cheek with his fingers splayed through her hair, and a furrowed brow. "You were crying," he stated simply and ran a thumb beneath her eye.

"Oh," she mumbled and lifted a hand from under the covers to wipe at her other eye curiously.

"Did you have a dream already?" he asked lowly as he analyzed her face in the morning light.

"Not really," she pondered aloud, "It was just a voice . . . It could have been anything."

"What did it say?" he continued patiently. Perhaps he was enjoying the moment of being curled around the only woman he had allowed himself to have any feelings for while locked away from any possible witnesses. But he doubted he would ever be able to bring himself to voice such a feeling and it would stay locked away within his chest along with any other vulnerable emotions.

"She asked 'Will you stay?'" she answered hesitantly and lifted her eyes from his collarbone to meet his cobalt stare.

Naru hummed thoughtfully before he pushed himself up into a sitting position and ran a hand through his hair. He had slipped his shoes off at some point in the night and wrapped his legs around Mai's when she had presumably kicked the blankets off of her feet due to the heat. He let out a low groan as his back protested against sleeping in Gene's overly soft bed. He straightened his back and rolled his shoulders to relieve some of the built up tension.

"We'll get a better idea of what we're dealing with today once we get to the property," he muttered as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "We'll be staying there since they were able to finish updating the electric and plumbing."

Mai watched him and listened as he spoke but she had slowly been pulling the comforters up over her face as her blush intensified. She had never gotten such an intimate moment with Naru before and watching him as he went through the process of waking up (out of the bed they slept in together!) was mind boggling. His hair was mussed, voice gruff, and eyes lidded while the last vestiges of sleep were desperately hanging on, begging him to get more rest.

"Get packed up and meet down in the foyer in an hour," he instructed her and stood to shuffle back into his room with shoes in hand.

Mai heaved a sigh, lifting her hands into the air over her head, before she dropped them back down onto the bed in exasperation. The peace and surreal morning was shattered with the prospect of work. But at least she enjoyed her job and the people she worked with. She rolled over on the bed, burying her face in a pillow, and wondered if she would be able to work up the will to pull herself from its warmth in time to avoid any scathing comments from her boss.

Ayako was the picture of perfection as Mai shuffled down the stairs pulling her suitcase behind her. With a good night's rest she had put herself back in order and the casual but professional skirt and blouse she wore were at odds with Mai's jeans, tank top, and baggy sweater with boots. But more importantly, her mood had done a one eighty and she greeted her with a warm smile as she approached.

"How did you sleep?" she asked as Monk stepped forward to ruffle her hair teasingly.

"I slept well . . ." Mai stammered nervously while a blush crept across her face. If only they knew . . .

Ayako quirked a brow and looked as if she was about to open her mouth to question her further but was interrupted as Yasuhara appeared and sleepily flung an arm over Mai's shoulders. Mai stumbled under the surprise onslaught but laughed as the man groaned and threatened to slide to the floor.

"I didn't sleep a wink," Yasu muttered and straightened before adjusting his glasses. "I wanted to get a head start on research and accidentally slipped down the rabbit hole," he explained, causing Ayako to lift a brow while Monk snorted. "I know of all the local cryptids now, don't hesitate to ask."

John smiled but there was no hiding the sigh that escaped him as he shifted his bag on his shoulder.

"The majority of that information will not be used for this case, but it is good to know that your attention is so easily derailed, Yasuhara, so that I may better manage you," Naru muttered coldly as he descended the stairs with a rolling suitcase behind him. He ran a hand through still damp hair and with the way the morning light fell through the window behind him, he looked like a model.

Mai rolled her eyes and turned away while Yasuhara laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "You wound me, boss man, but feel free to manage me however you want."

Naru deemed the statement unworthy of a response and walked over to Lin, in the process of discussing the best route to take to get to the location, when Luella swept into the room wearing a floral dress with a cream cardigan and a wistful smile. She pulled Naru into a hug and the man only spared her the briefest of pats on the shoulder while he continued speaking. Luella seemed unfazed as she turned to the rest of the group and clapped her hands.

"Just so you all are aware, BSPR will be hosting a gala this Saturday, and you all are more than welcome to attend. It's a bit of a graduation ceremony for all those studying parapsychology who will be staying on to research with us," Luella informed them cheerily and made sure to look them each in the eye as she spoke.

Masako lifted a sleeve to her mouth and said, "I would be honored to attend. I hope my usual attire will suffice."

"Of course! It is a formal event so your kimonos would be perfect," Luella assured her.

Mai blanched and turned wide eyes onto Monk. The two of them were the scruffier of the group, usually choosing to dress in jeans and t-shirts, as they owned little else. Monk grimaced before offering her a helpless shrug. She guessed they would be crossing that bridge when they came to it but she did not foresee them having time to go shopping for formal attire during their investigation. It would have been nice if Naru had told them beforehand, she thought irritably, and glanced over at the man from the corner of her eye.

"You all were sent an email containing the information," Naru's voice wrung out clinically.

Everyone cast their minds back to recall if they had seen such an email and Yasu was the first to laugh while the others rubbed their necks and kicked at the floorboards shamefully. In Mai's defense, she didn't have a laptop and she was still struggling with her smartphone, so she had not even thought to check her email when Naru so rarely sent anything out to them.

She blamed Yasuhara. He was always on his laptop. He could have told her.

Ayako nudged her as they filed out of the house and into the rainy day, "Don't worry, Mai, I'll take you shopping when Naru's not looking."

Mai giggled conspiringly while her boots crunched over the gravel driveway to where there were now two BSPR vans parked and idling. All of their personal belongings were shoved into one car, along with themselves, while Madoka climbed into the van that housed all of the equipment they would be utilizing. As Naru had mentioned to them back in Japan, this was going to be the largest property they had investigated to date, and they had double the amount of equipment to cover it all. The perks of working directly for BSPR was the practically unlimited supply of cameras and microphones at their disposal. Being able to get their hands on all of the latest tech certainly helped a bunch too.

As they all settled within the vans, Mai couldn't help the bubble of excitement that grew in her stomach, because she had the distinct impression that there would be a lot of fun to be had during this trip regardless of whether or not Naru approved. Due to the size of the property, Naru estimated that it would take them two weeks to resolve everything, but they would be taking a break to attend a party? That was certainly a first and not something Mai would pass up.

"I don't want to wear a suit," Monk grumbled from the back of the Van while Ayako scrolled through her phone, already looking through local store's websites for suitable clothing, and it caused Mai to chuckle.

"Too bad," Ayako shot back dryly, eyes focused on her phone.

"What if we just wore our work attire?" John questioned curiously from just behind Yasuhara.

"You want to show up to a party in all our religious wears?" Monk questioned irritably.

"Then everyone would flock to us with questions and I don't want to run the risk of stains," Ayako murmured absently as her eyes alighted on a possible option for Monk.

"I guess you're right," John sighed and glanced down at his jeans forlornly. He didn't exactly have the funds for a nice suit at the moment, given that they had not taken a case in so long, and Naru only paid him as a consultant per case.

"Naru, what if we don't have the money to go shopping?" Mai questioned quietly and John felt a rush of gratitude towards her for choosing to speak up where he would have chosen to suffer through it and figure it out himself.

Naru was scanning through his black notebook but spoke up in response, "I'd be willing to provide you all with payment in advance if that would help."

There was a collective sigh of relief from John, Mai, and Yasuhara.

"I'm gonna buy a sparkly suit," Yasuhara murmured jokingly, causing the rest in the van to laugh, though Ayako only scowled in annoyance.

"As long as it's professional," Naru drawled absently.

Lin could not resist the smirk that pulled at his lips and snorted.

"Lin's first laugh on this case, someone mark it down! I want to keep track," Yasuhara exclaimed.

"You're the one with the laptop, Yasu," Monk said with a bark of laughter.

"Hehe, now I get to be just like Lin, keeping secret notes on everyone in my laptop," the young man muttered as he pulled said computer from the bag by his feet mischievously. Mai shook her head as he opened a document, true to his word, and marked down the momentous event triumphantly.

All the while Lin sighed and studiously ignored the faint amusement he felt radiating from his charge. Naru was probably just happy not to be their primary target for a change.

The drive passed in relative silence from that point on. Some muffled conversations still took place but they did not rise above the level of calm that had fallen over the vehicle as Lin expertly navigated the streets of London and then the continuing countryside. Naru had given up on studying his black book and had rested his cheek against a fist, eyes vacant as the scenery passed him by, and Lin was quietly hoping that some of the more rambunctious of the group had fallen asleep.

"I don't mean to be that person," a low voice spoke up from the back and Lin sighed, knowing full well that person was going to be _that person_, "But, are we there yet?"

Lin lifted his eye to the heavens above while Naru seemed to ignore the question all together.

"No, Yasuhara-san, we are not there yet," Lin answered shortly. Was the steering wheel bending under his grip? He wasn't sure. But after an hour of driving with their ragtag group, he was reaching his limit.

"Hey, Yasu," Monk called from the very back.

"Yes, my love?" Yasu sang back with a loving smile sent of his shoulder.

"What's your favorite London Cryptid?" Monk continued with a twitch of his brow and a strained smile.

Lin thanked the heavens for the gift that was Takigawa Housho and his ability to read a room and not just the spirits that may inhabit it.

Mai leaned forward in her seat and her head hit the back of Lin's with a gentle thud. It seemed that she was at her limit as well.

It was another twenty minutes before Lin turned off of the small winding road and onto a gravel path that cut through wild forest and spat them out into a sprawling clearing that spread over several hundred acres. Flush against the line of trees in the distance was the largest Victorian palace, for that was the only word Mai could think to use to describe it, she had ever seen in her entire life picture or otherwise. She gripped Lin's seat as she leaned forward between the two men with wide eyes and open mouth. The photo that Naru had provided them all did the place little justice. Tall towers on either end of the building reached for the sky while nature threatened to reclaim what was once taken from it, vines crept up stone walls and chimneys, looking as if the mansion had simply grown up from out of the ground like any mountain. Sprawling pools and fountains among overgrown hedges and trees decorated the front of the property, loaning it that haunting quality abandoned theme parks echoed with.

"Holy shit," Monk whispered in awe as the vehicles came to a stop on the gravel driveway just in front of the main doors. The doors themselves stood nearly fifteen feet tall and were carved out of dark wood with intricate patterns chiseled into their surface.

"I don't know if two weeks will be enough," Yasu murmured with his face pressed up against the window before he recalled that they had come to a stop and pulled the handle on the door to climb out into the light drizzle that had begun to fall.

Mai hung back as everyone else filed out of the van and pulled their luggage along behind them. She was scared. Not due to any overwhelming presence that was reaching out to her, but due to the fact that she now completely understood Gene's statement. As the front doors were pushed open by the caretaker of the mansion, she felt as if it was the maw of a beast, yawning wide to swallow them whole. She gripped the driver's seat in front of her as her fingers trembled in apprehension and the rest of JSPR gathered around the caretaker to speak with him casually. Masako hung back, kimono sleeve held to her nose, and lifted her face to take in the height of the mansion before she turned back to meet eyes with Mai. She shook her head slightly.

Masako didn't sense anything.

Mai looked to Rocco, who was seated at her feet though his head was still level with hers, but the irish wolfhound was panting lightly while his nose twitched and tail wagged. He seemed ready to go explore their new location.

"Mai."'

She jumped at Naru's voice and found the man waiting, one hand in his pocket, as the rest of JSPR was led inside by the caretaker. She unbuckled her seatbelt and guided Rocco out onto the driveway while struggling to pull her suitcase behind her. Ever the cold gentleman, Naru stepped forward to take Rocco's leash from her while she fully exited the van and pulled the door shut behind her.

"Sorry," she muttered before she reclaimed Rocco's leash from Naru, their fingers brushing against each other, and taking small comfort with the warmth that kindled in her stomach.

Naru reached for her as she pulled away, gripping her upper arm gently, and pulled her back to face him. "Did you sense something?" he asked quietly.

Mai bit her lip and glanced back at the door where she could just make out Monk's back as they were led through the grand foyer. She lifted her eyes to meet Naru's once more and mumbled: "Gene said he felt like this place was like a spider, waiting in its web, and I can't help but feel like he was right."

Naru quirked a brow, the slightest wrinkle of confusion between his eyes, before he tightened his hold on her arm momentarily. "Masako doesn't sense anything evil . . ." he murmured as they walked forward together at a slow pace.

"Rocco doesn't either," Mai admitted and glanced down at the dog as he padded along at her side. They passed through the doorway and Rocco sniffed the air before pulling at Mai's arm in the direction of the distant voices of JSPR. Monk and Ayako were arguing playfully in hushed tones and Masako was making a light, but volatile, comment. "But I feel like we were just swallowed by the beast," Mai murmured nervously as she glanced back at the doorway before leveling Naru with a wide eyed and pleading expression.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N ~ Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the delay. I went from managing a small business to owning it and boy has it been . . . something . . . Anyways, I've been reading through what I had written and will be posting as much as I can. Due to the circumstances, I cannot provide a schedule for posting but I'm going to try and power through the remaining 40K I have written for you guys and get it posted. I definitely need to read through my notes to see where I was going but, hopefully, I get something written. _

Naru frowned, well, as close to a frown as she had ever seen him get. He rested a hand at the small of her back while they caught up to the group as they were shown into a large office and library between the two sets of curving staircases within the grand foyer. French doors had been thrown open by the caretaker and the room itself was bright with tall windows framed in lace white curtains. JSPR had gathered around a large table while the caretaker instructed them on where they could set up their monitors and the exact number of new outlets and where they were.

"The largest guest suite is directly above this room," the caretaker added as JSPR spread out to examine the heavily laden bookshelves and décor within the large room, "There are two bedrooms for you to utilize as requested."

"We'll drop our things off in the suite and then begin set up. Meet back here in an hour," Naru called out over the low chatter of the group.

The guest suite, as expected, was large and consisted of an open living space and kitchenette. There were two sets of lounging furniture, large overstuffed couches piled with pillows, along with an oval table for dining. The two bedrooms each had three large queen beds, which would work out as long as JSPR continued to rotate shifts, and adjoining bathrooms. The inlaid bathtubs were large enough for four people to sit in, let alone one, but shower stalls had recently been installed for guest convenience as well.

Mai sat down in the bathtub with a giggle, her head just rose above the lip of it, and kicked her feet as she rested her arms along the rim of the tub. She knew what she was doing tonight as soon as she had free time. It was easy to forget about the looming horror she had felt when they first arrived now that she was opening her mind to the positive aspects of the property. No one else sensed anything and Rocco was standing next to her, sniffing at the tub curiously, calm as could be. She theorized that Gene's statement had swayed her intuition a bit and had decided to withhold her judgement on the location until she had spoken with Gene that night. He had only been going off of his memories of the property from when he had crept up at night on a dare and not even gone inside.

Still, though, she should be cautious regardless.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Mai jumped and lifted her eyes to Ayako, who stood in the doorway of the bathroom with her hands on her hips and a brow quirked, while a smirk twitched at her lips.

"Nothing," Mai mumbled, "Just exploring . . . "

Ayako chuckled as Mai climbed out of the tub and patted her leg to garner Rocco's attention before she shuffled out of the bathroom after Ayako. "Well, you can hold off on exploring until we do our walk-throughs," Ayako called back over her shoulder as she strode through the room and back out into the living space.

It took them a little under an hour to set up on the ground floor and prepare for interviews. Mai was just descending the stairs into the grand foyer, a silver platter piled with tea cups and a currently brewing pot of tea, as carefully as she could. The spoons and cups clattered precariously and she stuck her tongue out in concentration as she gently strode between the stairs and into the study where the rest of SPR was gathering once more to divvy out duties for the evening.

Mai set the tray down on the coffee table nestled between two floral patterned Victorian couches and straightened with a relieved sigh. She lifted her eyes to the tall window set behind the couches and marveled at the fact that there were more fountains and winding garden paths on the other side of the mansion as well.

"Monk, I want you to set up the camera's on the east side of the property with Mai so that she can take temperatures and do a walk through. John, you and Hara-san will do the same on the west side. I know I usually don't ask you to assist with the manual work, Hara-san, but if you wouldn't mind . . ."

Naru's voice cut through Mai's dazing and she turned just in time to catch Masako offering a curt nod in response to Naru's request.

"Ayako, if you would take Yasu and set up microphones in the locations with the most activity, use that time to feel for the trees in this area," Naru continued absently as he flipped through his black notebook where he stood next to the large table on which their monitors were stacked. "We have carts for your convenience this time around, so start loading them up with the necessary equipment and once we have completed our interviews, you may begin."

Everyone nodded, while Ayako sighed, and split up to begin sorting through the equipment that had been piled out of the way near the French doors.

Mai paused next to Naru with her hands behind her back and asked, "How many interviewees do we have, exactly?"

Naru flicked his notebook shut and turned his cold eyes onto her and paused, Mai quirked a brow, and he set the book down on the table while he moved over towards the couches in the far back of the room where the tea currently sat wafting steam into the air. "There are only two people we need interview," he stated as he passed her.

"For this whole place?" she questioned in surprise.

Naru ignored her for a moment as she followed after him to pour him a cup and pass it to him habitually before she sat down on the opposite couch with her hands resting upon her knees. Rocco took it upon himself to make his way over then and sit on the floor before her.

"There has been no one here except for the caretaker for decades, Mai," he elaborated before taking a sip of his tea and leveling her with an exasperated look.

"Oh," she grumbled and reached out to scratch Rocco behind the ears. "What about the kids?" she asked as an afterthought.

Naru lifted his eyes to hers over the rim of his tea cup, "What kids?"

"You know," Mai waved her hand about with a scowl, "All the kids who come up on dares, from the nearby town, I bet you they have all sorts of information."

Naru hummed and leaned back in the couch as Lin came to join him on the cushion next to him. "We'll have Yasuhara and Modako ask around when we send them out to do further research," he stated shortly. "Now, if you wouldn't mind . . ." he trailed off with a glance over her shoulder.

Mai looked back to see the care taker waiting patiently to begin his interview.

"I'm so sorry," she rushed before she jumped from the couch and gestured for the older gentleman to take a seat.

The caretaker sat down with a pleasant smile and waved Mai off as she floundered about to apologize further. Instead, Mai poured him a cup of tea and took a seat in an adjoining armchair while Lin opened his laptop. There was a prolonged moment of silence while the man sipped from his tea. Mai glanced over to Naru curiously, puzzled by his display of patience, but the young man only stared back at her before he lifted a hand and gestured to the caretaker imploringly.

"Oh!" Mai exclaimed, surprised that Naru wanted her to take the reins on the interview, but pleased. She supposed it made sense, after all, she was far more polite and patient than him. "Where are my manners," she rambled in English and shifted to face the care taker, "My name is Taniyama Mai, I am an investigator with SPR."

The caretaker laughed, sensing that her feathers had been ruffled, and gripped her outreached hand in return. "My name is Charles Iverson, it is a pleasure to meet you," he assured heartily as they shook hands and then broke apart. She noted that his hands were rough and callused from hard labor and as he leaned back into his seat she was overcome with the knowledge that he was a trust worthy and hard working person, much like her father had been.

"Thank you for having us, Mr. Iverson," Mai responded in kind with a smile, "We'd like to ask a few questions about what you might have experienced here throughout your time looking after this property. I'm sure it hasn't been easy, given its size."

"It does get overwhelming at times, it takes me years to get around to everything that needs doing, and by the time I do, it all has to be redone!" he agreed with a roll of his eyes. "But, it is such a hauntingly beautiful place, I feel at peace here, and the work is almost therapeutic."

"I am glad that you're happy here," Mai murmured with a relieved smile, "with that being said, do you have any strange occurrences to report?"

"Well . . ."Charles trailed off as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and turned his eyes to his cup of tea in thought. "I don't know much about the paranormal, as I never had the mind for it, but things do happen around here. If you ask me, it all leads back to the ballroom where they supposedly found everyone all those years ago. It's almost like it wants to lead you there. I've heard music, multiple times, coming from that room but by the time I get there it stops. And sometimes . . ." he trailed off again and scratched at his cheek nervously.

Mai waited to prod him further, sensing that he was gathering his thoughts, or his courage, to continue. She could see Naru, arms crossed and finger tapping his forearm, from the corner of her eye. She knew he preferred to get straight to the point and collect pertinent information clinically but Mai had found, over the years, that there was much information to be gained in casual and friendly conversation. If a person felt more comfortable in your presence they would be more likely to divulge information that they felt hesitant about sharing previously.

"Sometimes," he began again and lifted his eyes to Mai's, "All the doors in the house will lock themselves and the only ones you can open are the ones that lead to that room."

"And is it the same with the music? When you get there it's empty?" Mai questioned gently. She wished that she had a notebook in front of her, but given that Naru had sprung the interview on her, she had not thought to prepare. She sorely missed her hello kitty pen. She would often fiddle with it absently while she spoke with the client and it helped to focus her line of thought. Instead, she twiddled her thumbs and leaned an elbow onto the arm of her seat.

"I don't know, miss, I never follow when it's the doors locking. I plant my feet and I wait until whatever it is gives up. Or . . ." he explained with a nervous chuckle, "I break a window and make my escape."

Mai's brows furrowed as something niggled at the back of her mind about Charles Iverson. She hummed thoughtfully and hesitated before she asked, "Why?"

"Why?" Charles questioned in surprise, bushy brows raised, before he glanced at the two men on the couch then back to her. "I know a trap when I see one, miss, and I don't plan on playing the part of the mouse."

Mai sat back in the chair, face thoughtful, and fell silent while Charles took another sip of his tea. Was it the mouse he didn't want to play the part of, or the fly in the spider's web? Mai resisted the urge to shoot Naru a glance, not wanting to alert Charles to any alarm the statement may have stirred within her, but she glanced down at her hands and tapped her thumbs together in thought.

"How many times has this happened, Mr. Iverson?" Naru spoke up coolly in Mai's silence.

"In my years here? Three times," he answered with a half shrug.

Lin's typing did not cease until the conversation had officially come to an end. Charles excused himself a few minutes later, stating that he had much to attend to, but not to hesitate to speak with him if they had any questions or concerns. Mai watched him go, still a bit lost in thought, before turning back to Naru and Lin with a sigh. That was twice now, someone had referred to the property as some sort of predator. She bit her lip and opened her mouth to voice he concerns when the French doors were thrown open by an unfamiliar man.

All eyes turned to watch as the man strode through the room with a sort of elegant confidence they would have compared to Naru himself, however, this man wore a bright smile and a blue suit. A silken black tie reflected the low light of the room but was far outshone by his white teeth.

"Oliver!" he exclaimed as he swung around the couch and reached out with a hand.

Mai watched with wide eyes as Naru leaned forward with a sigh to shake the man's hand.

"Oh, don't be like that, Oli," he chastised teasingly before turning to shake hands with Lin and then settled his gaze upon Mai. "And who's this?"

"I'm Taniyama Mai, and you?" she asked with a quirked brow as the man bowed dramatically before her.

"I am Henry Davis, the client, and a partner of BSPR, at your service," he drawled and offered Mai a roguish smile.

"Davis?" Mai questioned nervously, cheeks pink under such treatment.

"Mai," Naru called with a sigh, "This is my uncle, Henry."

And suddenly, Mai knew where Gene had gotten his flirtatious behavior from. She pulled her hand away from Henry with an awkward smile before she reached over to pour him a cup of tea as well. Henry sat down on the other couch and threw one arm along the back of it while he sipped his tea and scanned the room, eyeing the rest of the SPR team curiously. His eyes were bright and lively, blue and sparkling like the ocean, whereas Naru's were glacial in comparison. Of course, Mai knew they were in no way blood related, but they both were pale and dark haired with the bluest eyes she had ever seen. It was almost comical that they were only related by law.

Naru pushed himself to his feet, gliding over to the table where he had left his black book, and returned a moment later flipping through the pages casually. "Tell me, Henry, have you yourself experienced anything out of the ordinary here?"

"You know I've never been all that spiritually sensitive, Noll," Henry muttered with a sigh before his eyes alighted on the tea before him and he reached forward to take a sip.

Mai attempted to studiously watch and listen to Henry as he spoke but she guiltily glimpsed Naru from the corner of his eye as he snapped the notebook shut with an irate sigh and a carefully crafted mask of indifference that was quickly crumbling. He prided himself on being as cold and enduring as a marble statue but it seemed people like Henry, Gene, and Mai herself were the lichen to his rock. Mai tried not to smile, she really did, but there was a gleefully satisfied side of her that was enjoying his struggle. She debated on taking after Masako and wrapping herself into a kimono just so she could lift a sleeve to her mouth to hide her expressions and underhanded comments.

Lin, it seemed, was as familiar with Henry as his charge was because he soon pushed his laptop shut and leaned back into the couch in a moment of exhaustion. Even Mai knew that the combined flight and drive over, dealing with SPR, had worn him down to a bare skeleton of the patient and composed man he had once been.

"Then I guess we will have to rely on the research my staff will provide from here on out. You may leave," Naru stated casually, with a hint of ice, and leveled his uncle with a blank stare. A stare behind which, Mai was certain, roiled a cacophony of insults.

Henry laughed and clapped his palm against a knee, "I don't know if I've ever been so thoroughly dismissed in my life."

"Pity," Naru shot back breezily and clasped his hands over his crossed legs, eyes unwavering.

Mai's eyes widened and she heard a familiar but poorly stifled laugh from the other side of the room. She was not known to hold her own verbal punches when push came to shove but there was something so breath taking in the way Oliver Davis refused to give a flying fuck about anyone's feelings that he deemed unworthy. Even his own family! Poor Luella, she mentally bemoaned, while her gaze shifted to Lin who was staring back at her as if he shared her sentiments.

"Well then," she exclaimed in an effort to hide her exasperation with the situation, "I guess that's that. Mr. Davis," she began and pushed herself to her feet with a forced laugh, across from her she watched Naru's face contort uncomfortably, "I'm sure you have a busy schedule, would you like me to walk with you?"

Henry waved her off with a knowing chuckle, "Don't you worry, Ms. Mai, I am familiar with Noll's claws. I'll stop by in a few days to make sure everything is going well."

Mai bowed low, hands clasped before her, as the forced laughter faded from her throat. Once she straightened, Henry was already slipping out the door, and she let out a relieved sigh now that the tension had diminished with his absence. Gosh, she rubbed the back of her neck as she turned to glance at her employer and . . . boyfriend? . . . she felt like she had just witnessed her friends parents arguing in front of her. Desperately wanting to help and alleviate the growing negativity but knowing it wasn't her place to. It was something she had been learning to deal with frequently since joining the SPR team. When your job required you to insert yourself into a family home or business you learned to hold your tongue. Though it was a hard lesson for Mai to learn.

"I thought I was going to crack back there," Monk muttered as he pushed the cart full of equipment along behind Mai. They had departed the study along with the others while Naru seated himself at the large table next to Lin to monitor and assist with set up.

"Imagine how I felt," Mai grumbled as she noted the temperature of their first room stoically. The clipboard was cold against her arm while she balanced the thermometer atop it and carefully navigated her pen around the device. She paused dutifully to get a feel for the room while Monk pulled the cart out of the doorway and lifted a tripod to begin set up. "Like being stuck in a room with you friends parents arguing in front of you . . ." she continued to grumble.

"Nothing beats when Lin and Naru disagree," Monk shot back as he set up the microphone on a table and flicked it on with an impish smile. "They just stare each other down like cats, I swear they're telepathic," he continued.

Mai snorted and glanced out the window of the sitting room with a quirked brow. "They wish they were telepathic. They're just trying to beat their own thoughts into the other's head until one of them cracks."

"Mom, dad, please stop arguing," Monk moaned dramatically.

Mai laughed.

The radio on Mai's hip beeped and crackled to life, silencing the two, and the room seemed to drop in temperature as a familiar voice spoke up.

_"Don't hesitate to let me know when you two would actually like to start working."_

Mai glanced at the thermometer curiously to see if the temperature _had_ actually dropped and noted a point five degree difference with a fascinated hum.

Nothing happened that day during set up. The base was constructed and Lin took up post in front of the bank of monitors like a dragon guarding its hoard while the others shuffled about and busied themselves with minor tech issues and what exactly they would be doing for food that night. Ayako sat at one of the many sofas, scrolling through her phone in search of restaurants in the nearby town, her shining red nails clacking away against the screen, while Masako sat next to her sipping a cup of tea with poise that Mai herself could never accomplish.

Mai set a cup of tea beside Naru on the large oak desk but the man did not spare her a glance while his eyes roved over the papers in his notebook. He reached for the tea, focus never broken, and sipped at it absently. Mai rolled her eyes at the lack of response and turned to shoot Rocco a look, wondering if even he could believe why she put up with the man, but ended up smiling at the sight of him curled in his travel bed dozing.

What she wouldn't give to have not a care in the world.

Mai waltzed over and plopped herself down on the opposite sofa from the other girls and heaved a sigh of boredom. She was resigning herself to a quiet evening when Naru snapped his book shut and spun the wooden computer chair around to face them all.

Sensing that a discussion was about to be had, Monk, Yasuhara, and John all squeezed themselves into the remaining spaces on the couch.

"Hara-san, did you happen to sense any spirits?" Naru asked, straight to business.

Masako lifted a sleeve to her mouth as her perfect brows scrunched together in frustrated confusion. "I sense that there are spirits here but nothing like I've ever come across," she began quietly, "I am unable to differentiate one from the other, as if they have all melded together, though none feel to be malicious."

Naru gripped his chin between his fingers and lowered his eyes in thought. No sound broke the silence except for a spurt of typing on Lin's part that fell silent soon after. Mai had to admit that, while they all thought over the statement in the still bright with daylight room, it was almost comforting. The calm that settled over them was reassuring.

"Mai," Naru questioned, lifting his eyes to her for the first time in a few hours.

Mai perked up, confused for a moment at why he was calling for her, before she shook her head with a shrug. "I haven't felt anything," she answered simply, "In fact, once we got inside, I felt really comfortable."

Naru did not respond immediately, eyes locked on hers, before he dropped her gaze and spun back around to notate their reports in his folder. "I want everyone to rest up before tonight. We will be taking shifts to walk the grounds in pairs throughout the night to collect information and attempt to contact any spirits that may remain," he spoke clearly as he deftly drew his pen across paper.

"Really?" Ayako questioned with a squawk. She had set her phone down to listen as Naru spoke but it fell from her lap and hit the rug below with a dull thud. Her reaction caused Monk to stifle a chuckle while John only offered an understanding smile to the woman as her eyes darted between them for support.

"Investigations are conducted a bit differently here," Madoka offered kindly from where she leaned up against the table next to Lin. "Your last big case was conducted as Shibuya Psychic Research, as such, Naru stuck to the standard workflow that you all have crafted as a team. However," she continued to explain, "This is a case that has been taken on by BSPR and the information will be shared and documented by those within BSPR themselves."

"So we are adhering to BSPR standards on this case then?" Monk questioned while scratching at his cheek absently.

"Correct," Naru answered as he shut his notebook once more.

"Everything is to be recorded, even your trips to change a battery, will require one of you to have a hand camera rolling," Madoka instructed as she pushed herself away from the table and dropped her hands onto the top of a cardboard box resting on a table by the window. "While we will still be researching and theorizing like normal, we will also be actively attempting to record documentation of the existence of spirits, as well as our experiences."

Mai blanched. Did that mean they would be recorded at all times? Oh man, she bemoaned mentally, she was going to look like a total fool with her clumsiness and reckless attitude. Not to mention, those at BSPR would probably see just how much of an 'Assistant' she was with every demand for tea Naru made. Let's not forget how much of a mess she looked like on cases. As she got more in depth with the spirits they were working with she tended to forget such things as personal hygiene.

"We'll have a camera crew arriving in the next hour," Madoka added cheerily.

The group groaned, with the exception of Masako, who was used to her own camera crew following her around. Now Mai understood why she was always so prim and proper at all times. Would Masako provide lessons? She was certain if she did the lessons would come with a side order of steaming underhanded insults.

"They better not follow us into our rooms," Ayako grumbled with crossed arms.

"Don't worry," Madoka assured the women with a giggle, "They are not permitted to enter personal quarters unless otherwise instructed."

"I ask that you try and remain on your best behavior," Naru's voice drifted over to them as he leaned over to get a look at Lin's notes.

Monk snorted but attempted to cover it with a cough when Ayako slid a glare in his direction. He dropped his eyes over to Yasuhara, who was grinning at him in what he could only assume was agreement, and chuckled. If anyone was going to be misbehaving, it was certainly Yasuhara.

"We'll have to keep our PDA to a minimum, my love," Yasuhara drawled.

There it is, Monk thought and grimaced, "Boy, what did I tell you?"

"If anyone wants to freshen up before the camera crew gets here then now is your chance," Madoka sang out and giggled when the women of the group jumped to their feet and disappeared through the doorway in record time.

Naru scribbled another note into his book, undisturbed by the antics carrying on behind him, and was the picture of graceful concentration while his once teacher chortled over his shoulder.

The camera crew consisted of four men and one woman who were calm and collected as they surveyed the base casually. They carried a level of cool composure that Mai was exceedingly jealous of to the point that she found herself likening them to Naru and Lin themselves. They looked like they belonged there, unfazed by the potential dangers of the case and careless of whether or not they offended anyone. Be that as it may, they were still easy to get along with and Monk made fast friends with the lead cameraman almost instantly. Their collection of equipment was quick to join that of SPR's scattered about the floor of the base room.

Mai sat at the large table in the back of the room along with the rest of SPR and Madoka. The camera crew stood behind them, in front of the windows to utilize the natural lighting, and had set up a camera to film them as they officially started off their investigation. Madoka had mentioned that Naru had cheated by allowing them to set up equipment and get a feel for the property before the crew had arrived but the man did not comment after the statement and the others had spared him a glance before returning their attentions to the strawberry blond woman curiously.

He doesn't want us to seem incompetent, Mai thought with a roll of her eyes.

"As of this moment, all investigation will be documented and recorded for review, as such, any action, theory or additional investigation must be approved by myself," Naru began from where he sat at the head of the table. "On this team we have three primary investigators: Madoka Mori, Taniyama Mai, and myself, Oliver Davis. Assistants: Koujo Lin and Yasuhara Osamu. And consultants: Takigawa Hosho, Matsuzaki Ayako, Hara Masako, and John Brown."

Mai watched Naru as he clinically ran through introductions with a practiced ease born from years of experience. He pulled the original case file from his notebook as he spoke and set it aside. The rest of the team watched him with rapt attention, looking to him for guidance in this new method of investigation. Naru seemed completely unfazed by the whole thing and proceeded to run through the case details with an air of refined boredom.

Wish I could reach that level, Mai thought with a quiet sigh. She sat back in the wooden chair and glanced down at her change of clothes absently. The ones she had chosen to wear that morning had been wrinkled and dirtied after the long car ride and set up of equipment. Charles did an excellent job of keeping the property in decent condition but it was obvious general cleaning was low on the list of priorities. The place probably had enough dust to populate an entire planet with dust bunnies. Once she had pulled on a pair of black leggings and long blue tunic over one of her preferred black sports bras, Ayako had taken it upon herself to pull her hair into an artfully crafted messy bun just as she was bending down to tie her sneakers. Surprised and distracted, Mai had straightened with a quirked brow and the woman had followed up by applying a layer of mascara without a single word. Mai was left wondering if she should feel violated while Ayako returned to her own primping in the bathroom.

"Due to the nature of this investigation, you will find that this case may take longer to solve, as everything will be recorded. There will always be a camera in base recording our actions and only one team will be assigned a task at a time so that a second camera may follow and document the event. We will have two people at the monitors at all times, two people researching, and the remainder are permitted to use their free time resting within assigned quarters or here at base. Is this understood?"

Those at the table all nodded with a resounding 'Yes!'

"John," Naru turned his impartial gaze to the blond priest who perked up upon being called, "I would like you to take Hara-san on a walk through. Make sure to verbalize any of your thoughts on the possible haunting. You have two hours."

Mai watched as Masako lifted a sleeve to her mouth to hide the growing ego upon being chosen first to provide her services. But at the mention of walking through the property again, Mai noted, her shoulders slumped ever so slightly and she dropped her sleeves once more.

"After which, I would like Takigawa-san to take Mai through as well. This will provide us with enough data to get an understanding of what we are dealing with spiritually. In the meantime, Madoka and Yasuhara-san will be researching and compiling all pertinent information."

Mai grimaced but made no comment as those at the table stood to begin their assigned tasks or find a way to entertain themselves until further notice. Monk and her would be prowling the grounds well into the night. She would be lucky to get to bed by midnight and she didn't want to know what that meant for Ayako. If Naru chose to send her out after they returned then they would never hear the end of it.

"I'll order us some food in the meantime," Ayako advised grimly, as if she had had the same thought as Mai, but refused to make a scene on camera.

Monk turned a bemused look on her before a conniving grin bloomed across his face and shoved his hands into his pockets. He had come to the same understanding as Mai in that, while on camera, the priestess would behave herself.

Knowing that the case was officially starting, Mai glanced to Naru expectantly from where she stood in the middle of the room. Naru had moved over to where Lin had claimed a seat at the monitors and crossed his arms as he scanned through the steady images fed by the cameras set up throughout the property. He was in a mood if the tightness of his shoulders was anything to go by. Most likely due to the way in which the investigation was to be conducted.

Now that Mai thought about it, while in Japan, they were rarely actively investigating at night. Outside of a tape swap or battery change, Naru refrained from sending anyone out once the sun had fallen. It was common knowledge that spirits were more active at night, so why then, weren't they? Why had Naru chosen to deviate from BSPR protocol with his own team?

As if sensing that her thoughts were currently revolving around him, Naru lifted his eyes over the bank of monitors to hers. There was no emotion present, as if he were observing her just as he had been the footage, but an eyebrow twitched soon after. He was inquiring as to why she was just standing there with barely a movement let alone opening his mouth.

Ah, she thought absently, because it was Naru. As soon as any case got too dangerous he would pull the plug and send them packing. Naturally, he would avoid sending them out into the lion's den and left the cameras running to collect any action in their absence at night. It simply wasn't worth the risk to him. Which begged the questions: Did BSPR value their staff's safety so little that even Naru felt it was unacceptable? Thus spawning his bad mood as he was forced to once again adhere to their workflow? Or was it simply the standard to investigate at night and members of BSPR understood the risks and Naru was just uncomfortable with sending his team out because it was _his _team? They were very close nit and had grown exponentially together as a group and Mai knew, though he never spoke of such things, that he valued them as more than just employees.

Or maybe she was overthinking things and he was just in a bad mood because he knew all of BSPR would see how much of a mess they were when it came to maturity and professionalism.

That was probably it.

"Mai."

Mai jumped, eyes returning to focus on him once more, and she laughed embarrassedly.

"Are you spacing our or having a vision?" Naru questioned with brow raised once more. His voice was light but with it came a familiar frost in the air, sending shivers down Mai's spine.

"The first," she admitted with a sigh, "Tea?" she offered in way of apology. Honestly, it was why she had first glanced over at him. Once everyone got down to business he would usually order her to make some while he sat, like a cat, waiting for its prey to make the first move. Poised to pounce, if you would, on the first sign of activity.

Naru's brow dropped and his lip twitched, threatening to pull into a smirk or a frown, before he nodded once.

Mini task acquired, Mai picked up the silver tray from the coffee table and collected the tea cups scattered about the room with a small smile. She was grateful for the task, no matter how simple, and it put her at ease to know that nothing had changed despite the cameras. It wouldn't be so bad, she decided, for BSPR to see all that she did. Maybe they could actually count and document how frequently Naru drank tea and determine whether it was detrimental to his health or not.

As she left the room, she heard Rocco padding along after her, and made sure to leave the French doors open so that he could follow.

It wouldn't be so bad having the cameras around, Mai thought as she strode through the foyer with Rocco at her heels. Ayako was on her best behavior and Monk was in a good mood because of it. Naru seemed to be less demanding and Yasuhara would have to swallow at least ninety-five percent of his comments. Masako, on the other hand, would probably be herself. Regardless, the crew seemed fun enough and it would be a new experience for all of them.

While her thoughts were positive on the matter, Mai had neglected to recall how much of a klutz she was and, as if to remind herself, tripped over the first step of the stairs leading up to the main suite. She let out a yell, causing Rocco to startle, and struggled to slow her decent. The silver tray filled with used tea cups rattled dangerously as she caught herself with her elbows a few steps up, and only one cup tipped over the edge to bounce back down the stairs and shatter on the marble floor.

Back in base, Naru heaved a defeated sigh and turned from the monitors to stalk out of the room. The others followed him with their eyes, not too worried due to the lack of barking, before they returned to their own tasks. Ayako was on the phone ordering food while Monk browsed through a magazine in boredom.

"Mai," he called softly as he approached the scene. Rocco turned to greet him with tail wagging and barked once as if to alert him to the situation.

"I'm okay," Mai muttered from where she lay on the stairs, arms trembling under the strain. "But could you give me a hand?" she asked with a nervous laugh. No matter how she attempted to move it would only result in more broken cups. Just her luck to not only fall but fall in such a way that would leave her helpless unless someone came along to assist. She supposed she could have just dropped the tray but her frugal conscience would not permit her to waste a whole set of tea cups just for her convenience.

She watched with a grimace as a graceful hand entered from her peripheral and lifted the tray out of her grasp. Mai let her arms flop forward in relief, muscles trembling, and sighed into the carpeted stairs. Her elbows throbbed with the beginnings of what she was certain would be fierce bruises and she pushed herself up tenderly.

"One day you'll have to learn to watch your feet," Naru remarked casually and lifted the tray over one shoulder while his other hand came to rest at Mai's back.

Mai scowled while she rubbed her elbows, wishing they weren't so sore, otherwise she might have planted one in Naru's ribs. She allowed her anger to pass and dropped her gaze to the stairs as he guided her up, frustrated with her own clumsiness, and wondered why Naru decided to even bother with her. She imagined that in a perfect world he would have ended up with someone like Masako, had she not blackmailed him into spending time with her, or maybe a world famous ballerina. Maybe even a woman of noble birth, royalty, she thought with a snort. Someone who was as graceful and composed as he was. He was one half of the ultimate power couple already. Sure, Mai had amazing spiritual abilities that were steadily growing, but that didn't mean he had to actually date her. Were they even dating?

Mai rubbed at her face as they entered the main suite where the kitchenette was located and Naru parted from her to set the tray down on the counter. The cups rattled one last time before he turned back to face her and reached for her arms. Obediently, she lifted her hands over her shoulders so he could look at her elbows. She felt his cool fingers grasp her arm as he leaned forward to examine the abused flesh with a critical eye. Nothing serious caught his attention, she noted, as his eyes glided over her elbows easily before he leaned back and allowed her to drop her arms once more.

"Just another battle scar," he murmured quietly, something akin to a smile pulling at one corner of his lips.

Mai smiled back, though it was weighed down with melancholy, and nodded. The words were heavy, but offered lovingly, as she had disclosed to both him and his mother months ago that her father had often said the same thing. Any time she had returned home as a child with scrapes and bruises from a hard day's play he would crow over her new additions to the collection of her battle scars.

"I would hardly call my fight with the stairs a battle," she drawled facetiously before she turned to fill the electric kettle with water. The faucet spilled forth water, the sound breaking the silence of the room, and chuckled. "Only I would trip _up_ the stairs," she muttered, "I'm just glad Yasuhara didn't see. I'd never hear the end of it."

She heard him hum in agreement but paused as she felt him move up behind her and his lips ghost across the back of her neck. Goosebumps flushed across her shoulders and down her back and she was powerless against the shiver that wracked her body in response. Absently, she wondered if this was his way of begging for tea. It was the second time he had sidled up to her while she was making him a new pot of tea and both times the image of a dog, sitting at ones feet and whining while its dinner was being made, bubbled forth in her mind. She bit her lip, fighting a grin, and refrained from voicing her thoughts to him for fear of offending his vast ego.

"I'm assuming there are no major injuries to report."

Mai jumped, blood rocketing to her cheeks in record time as a scarlet blush blossomed, and glanced over her vacant should to catch sight of Ayako standing in the middle of the room with hands on her hips. But that Naru, she noted wryly, took his sweet time in pulling away from her. She felt his hand slide off her hip as he turned away, stoic as ever, and spoke calmly.

"Just some bruising," he advised as he leaned back against the counter with arms crossed.

Ayako studying them suspiciously before she too crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. "Why are we here Naru?" she questioned tiredly, as if she had been laboring over the thought for some time.

Naru did not find her question worth answering and remained silent while Ayako's patience dwindled.

"There's obviously nothing here and we hardly have any credible reports of hostile activity," she continued scathingly, "Why are we investigating this property?"

"Henry Davis is a private partner of BSPR and offered a large sum to have it fully investigated, be that as it may, this is a case study. We are collecting information that may possibly be used to further the study of parapsychology for all," he answered calmly in the face of Ayako's ire.

"So he paid big money to have this place looked at based on nothing but old wives tales?" Ayako muttered back with a raised brow.

"Anyone will do anything for the right price," Naru shot back airily.

"As long as you're being honest," the red head grouched before stepping forward and shooing the man away from the counter so that she could get a look at Mai herself.

"Ayako . . ." Mai admonished lightly as the woman pulled at one of her arms.

"I don't like playing the part of a fool, Mai, now hush," Ayako grumbled and pulled at the other arm impatiently. Mai gave in with a roll of her eyes but caught sight of Naru as he slipped through the doorway and disappeared down the hall, most likely heading back to base.

"So," Ayako began scandalously, "You and Naru?"

"Ayako!" Mai shouted and swatted at her hands while the woman laughed. "Is that why you came up here? Just to spy on us and tease me?"

"No, of course not!" Ayako assured slyly.

Mai narrowed her eyes at her, untrusting, before she turned back to the kettle to pour the steaming water into the ceramic pot to steep the tea.

"This is a little weird," Mai voiced awkwardly as Jenna, the woman on the camera crew, adjusted the microphone clipped to the strap of her sports bra.

"You'll get used to it, don't worry," Jenna assured her with a laugh. She stepped back to take a look at Mai, making sure the microphone wasn't in the way, before she patted the man behind the camera on the shoulder. "We're good to go Avery," she murmured while she lifted a tablet containing the palace blueprints for review.

"Don't worry about it Jou-chan," Monk ruffled her hair, amused at the way the bun on her head bobbled, before he started off down the dark hall. "Now let's go explore a spooky mansion and find all the secret rooms," he threw back over his shoulder with a grin.

"Why do you always try and scare me with secret rooms?" Mai muttered as she hurried to follow him while Jenna and Avery remained a comfortable distance in the background. Rocco, of course, trotted at her heels with his tongue lulling.

"Because you always get trapped in them," Monk answered with a shrug and shined his flashlight into an open doorway absently.

"Masako does too," she whispered waspishly, the dark of the night hushing her.

"Once," Monk shot back as they moved into what looked like a drawing room. There were several ornate couches and chairs scattered about around a large fire place. A piano stood abandoned in the corner while three large windows allowed moonlight to spill across the carpeted floors. Mai swept her flashlight in an arc across the walls, pausing to take in the several detailed paintings, before she spun about the room and took a deep breath. The air was heavy with the smell of dust and paper but it wasn't an all-together unpleasant scent.

"Ayako," Mai countered belatedly, quietly, and shuffled over towards the piano.

"Again, once, and it wasn't even due to a spirit, it was your little friend," Monk could be heard murmuring in amusement from the other side of the room as he poked at the fireplace mantle and its decorations.

Mai hummed absently and poked one of the keys of the piano. A solemn note rent the air, causing Monk to whirl around, while Mai winced apologetically. Still, the sound struck a chord in her heart and she fell still while Monk crossed the room towards her. It continued long after her finger had left the ivory piece and rung in her mind. It was so lonely and so haunting and she felt that a stream of following notes should have played out.

"Do you feel anything?" Monk asked as he paused just behind her.

Mai pulled her hand away and lifted her eyes to the camera for a split second before allowing her gaze to glide past the obtrusive presence. "No," she answered quietly, "Just loneliness . . ." She glanced about the room one more time then led the others back towards the door. "It's like a blanket over the whole place. It's always present but just barely enough to notice. In the daylight I didn't think anything of it," she continued as Monk once again took the lead and strode further down the hall.

The rest of the walk-through was much the same and they had decided to visit the ballroom last before heading back to base. The large halls filled with furniture and artwork were unsettlingly quiet in the moonlight but it was not enough to strike fear into the hearts of the seasoned paranormal investigators. Predictably, quiet conversation continued to flow despite the obvious growing bemusement of their camera shadows.

"So, you and Naru, huh?" Monk crowed lowly as they stopped in front of the ornate wooden doors that had been left open. Old worn carpet gave way to sparkling black and white checkered marble. Mirrors that lined the walls of the ballroom threw the soft light of the night about until the empty space practically glowed ethereally.

Mai scowled over her shoulder, one foot hanging over the threshold in midair. Monk let out a bark of laughter but grimaced when Mai slapped his shoulder.

"There are always ears listening, you know?" she grumbled, setting her foot down, while Jenna flicked her eyes between the two in growing exasperation. It was obvious Ayako had blabbed to the monk at some point after she had walked in on them in the main suite, she had just hoped no one else would broach the subject, much less on camera.

"Jeez. If I didn't know any better I'd say you lifted weights," Monk grumbled as he rubbed at his shoulder. He pointedly ignored her statement until he was satisfied with the growing rage in her eyes and smirked. "An old bird told me things seemed to be going well, that's all," he explained with a freckles shrug.

"It's none of your business, Bou-san," Mai snipped before continuing into the ballroom with head held high. Rocco followed her lead and began exploring the large open space excitedly.

"You wound me, Jou-chan, I'm practically your father. I have a right to know these things," he called after her and laughed when she spun around with fire in her eyes. He watched though, with some hesitation, as the fire dwindled and her shoulders slumped.

"I know that," she murmured. "It's just embarrassing. It's hard enough to get him to open up to me when it's just us . . ."

Monk sighed and his eyes softened as he stepped in after her, "Aw, Jou-chan, it'll be alright. Naru-bou's just a man of logic and facts. He's hardly a fickle person and he's analyzed everything, weighed his options, and decided on you. I hardly think his feelings are going to go anywhere. You could tarnish his beautiful face for life and he wouldn't love you any less. I know I wouldn't."

As if to emphasize his statement, Monk wrapped her up in a bear hug, lifting her feet from the ground and squeezed her tightly. Mai laughed as he swung her around before he set her down and ruffled her hair for the second time that night.

"Naru is the nickname Oliver has taken to using, isn't it?" Jenna asked curiously, tablet hanging loosely in her hands, while she stared at them openly. Her voice echoed throughout the ballroom and drew the two's attention to her.

"That's the one," Monk assured her with a snort, "Naru the narcissist as Mai so eloquently dubbed him the first day she worked with him."

Jenna's mouth fell open and she floundered to find words, looking like a fish out of water, before she lowered the tablet to her side and glanced over at Avery. The man was staring at them, no longer through the eyepiece of the camera, with a vacant expression. They had both known Oliver Davis since he and his brother were first adopted and Martin had brought them into the BSPR office to parade them around proudly. Little Oliver had worn a scowl that day and he had never taken it off since. To think that, based off of the vague conversation they were privy to, the man had found someone he loved . . . It just didn't seem possible. Even when Madoka had come to them with this new assignment and had cheerily informed them of who they would be working with, they had all internally grimaced, expecting to spend two weeks with the asshole they had grown to know and hate.

Jenna finally snorted on a laugh and lifted a hand to cover her mouth in bewildered amusement. "I never thought the day would come that someone would be able to put up with that git," she admitted boldly.

"Are we in the presence of a goddess?" Avery murmured and zoomed in on Mai with the camera, getting a close up look at the glower she had sent their way before she turned and threw her hands in the air.

"I want a blooper reel when this is all over and done with," Monk mused as he watched Mai stomp about, attempting to restrain herself from unleashing a verbal lashing on all those present.

"I see why Dr. Davis was so unsure about sending a film crew to document you guys, you really are a bunch of goofballs," Jenna followed up after she had fallen silent. "I will, of course, be making a blooper reel. This is too good. But I have to wonder; shouldn't you be more serious while walking the halls at night? Won't you guys yelling and arguing scare of potential spirits?"

Monk half turned to look back at her with a quizzical brow raised. Her tone was not condescending in the least, purely inquisitive, and so he offered her a grin and waved her off. "We just do this to get a feel for the place and to get familiar with it. Trust me, if there are spirits here, they will find Mai. We don't call her the ghost magnet for nothing. She's practically a flare on the spirit radar."

Jenna refrained from entering the camera shot, as she wanted to continue the conversation, so she raised her voice to be heard once more. "How so?" she asked as Mai came to a stop at the far end of the room, eyes drawn to the windows.

"Mai first started showing signs of latent ESP a few years back, which steadily progressed to both post and precognitive visions when she slept. Astral projecting was soon to follow. She's even capable of taking physical objects with her into the astral plane and delivering them elsewhere," Monk explained knowledgeably as he grasped his chin between his fingers in thought, "But if you ask me, her real talent lies in her ability to empathize with spirits and cleanse them. Our last international case-."

The monk was cut off as the walkie-talkie crackled to life at his hip and he glanced down curiously before a cold voice filtered over the device, "That's enough, Monk."

"Understood," he radioed back, shifting to hit the button while the walkie-talkie remained on his belt, before he crossed his arms with a sigh.

Jenna scowled but refrained from further comment. One's abilities could be a sensitive topic, she knew from experience with BSPR, but Oliver Davis and his favored investigator were too juicy a topic to pass up. Taniyama had been the talk of the office and she knew that many of the investigators and professors had been privy to the footage of their infamous case.

"Sorry," Monk offered awkwardly before he turned his eyes back to Mai, "You getting anything from this room?"

Mai did not respond as she continued to gaze out the window, hands clasped before her, and Monk cocked his head curiously.

"Speaking of . . ." he mumbled and moved forward to stride across the room towards the woman, "Mai? You there?"

Her silence continued.

Monk reached over to grasp her shoulder and she jumped before turning her eyes to him as they came back into focus. "What?" she questioned absently and rubbed the back of her neck as Monk gave her a quick once over.

"You getting anything from this room?" he repeated himself gently.

"Not really," Mai answered dazedly. Her eyes roamed over the room once more while Monk grasped her arm and guided her back towards the main entrance with furrowed brows. Her eyes remained vacant and she followed at a half pace until they crossed the threshold and she turned to look back as they shuffled down the hall. "It's a nice room," she mumbled, "We should go back some time."

"Will do, Jou-chan," Monk assured her distractedly before he looked over to Jenna and the camera, lips tight and face heavy with a knowing expression. Jenna met his gaze curiously before she dropped her eyes to her feet thoughtfully.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N~ Next chapter! Thank you guys for reviewing! It feels great to know you guys still stuck around after the long wait, so thank you thank you! As you may have noticed, this case ifs vastly different from any other before, and the team will definitely be challenged as frustrations grow. Stay tuned! _

Something was amiss but it was too early to tell just what Mai had experienced. It wasn't the usual dream or vision that normally left her rambling. Monk recalled the days when Mai had not yet known of her abilities and would sit on a wealth of information until it was necessary. He was thankful those days had long since passed and she had learned to share what she had gathered as soon as the opportunity presented itself. She could still be swayed if she felt a spirit could be cleansed verses exorcised, but the team had learned some patience in that regard as well.

Monk guided her all the way back to base, the warm lights of the study pooled across the foyer floor, and only let go of her arm once he had caught sight of Naru. The man had pushed himself to his feet and dropped a clinical eye on Mai as she approached. She made to move past him while Jenna and Avery paused to watch just behind Monk, but Naru lifted his hands and grasped her upper arms. Successfully halted, Mai lifted her face to him curiously.

"Where are you going?" he asked simply.

"Tea," she responded in kind.

Naru gripped her chin in his hand and turned her head about to inspect her vacant expression.

The whole room had paused in their tasks to watch the two from the corner of their eyes. Lin had spun about in the creaking wooden computer chair to look the woman over himself from a distance. He caught sight of Monk watching from the doorway with a drawn expression.

"Hara-san," Naru called, eyes focused on Mai's.

Masako sat on one of the sofas, hands clasped in her lap, and scrutinized Mai before she spoke up: "She is not possessed."

"I'm fine," Mai assured the room quietly. She did not fight under Naru's hold but the fleetest of irritations was bubbling in her chest at the prolonged position.

"Where are you?" he asked cryptically, the slightest of wrinkles present between his brows.

Mai closed her eyes for a moment before she lifted a hand to rub at her face and meet his gaze once more, life seemingly returning to her in that instant. "I'm right here," she assured him.

"It was the ballroom," Monk spoke up, breaking the room from the hold that had fallen over it. "She spaced out, said she didn't sense anything, but she's been on autopilot since."

"It was a nice room," Mai defended lamely. It was a dumb excuse and they all knew it but she hated being the center of attention, despite how often these cases forced her into the spotlight, and she would do anything to get out of it. It sent a thrill of social anxiety rocketing through her chest and she battled the urge to run. Mai pulled Naru's hand away from her chin and gave it an apologetic squeeze before she stepped aside to lift the tea tray from the nearby table. "I don't sense anything here. The place is just lonely and I think I'm just being affected by it," she theorized as she headed back towards the door and Monk stepped aside to let her pass.

"Mai."

She paused and turned back to meet those ocean deep eyes with a slight frown.

"Make some tea, but then you should rest," he instructed her quietly. He had slid one hand into a pocket while the other hung limply at his side. It was a stance that spoke of open concern but still remained somewhat guarded under the gaze of those present. His chin lifted, ever so slightly, and she nodded once before she turned back towards the foyer.

No activity occurred that night.

Mai had surrendered to the soft ocean that was her assigned bed that night with a relieved sigh. Rocco had jumped up to claim his spot at her feet, careless of the disapproving look Masako sent him due to the fact that he was blind, but Mai only offered the medium a shrug in response. Madoka was in the bathroom partaking in the luxury bathtub while Ayako was prowling the halls with Naru himself. Mai assumed he wanted to get a look at the ballroom and had offered to join the woman on her walk-through. Mai was certain he would have avoided it otherwise as Ayako was certain to be whining about the late hours and her lack of beauty rest.

"I'm beginning to fear that we have made this trip for nothing," Masako admitted as she slid into bed gracefully, her light sleeping gown shimmering in the light filtering in through the underside of the bathroom door.

"Think of it as a vacation, Masako," Mai drawled sleepily into her pillows, "Naru said we're only doing this because his uncle slapped down an undisclosed but large amount of money. I'm just happy for the chance to travel and at least we get to attend the gala . . ."

Masako scoffed lightly but pulled the comforter over her and quieted down as Mai drifted. Sure, Mai would think of it as a great opportunity with Naru hanging off of her the way he was. She stared up at the ceiling, gripping the blankets thoughtfully, before he eyes slid over to the prone figure in the bed next to her.

"This place isn't haunted."

Several sets of eyes lifted from their breakfast plates around the large table in base at the statement but not one pair held the smallest iota of surprise. The mood was light but a little bored due to the lack of activity. They had all been thinking along the same line, but as usual, Monk was the one to voice what everyone was thinking to the whole group without hesitation.

The camera crew had claimed seats around the coffee table and they all looked up in surprise. None of them were spiritually sensitive in the least so the news came as a surprise to them. There had been whispers about the property for as far back as they could remember, Avery himself was a local of the nearby town, and the statement came as a shock.

Naru leveled Monk with a cold look, fork poised over his own breakfast (an egg white omelet filled with various vegetables. Mai noted absently that he had started to drift away from his strict diet and she wondered if it was due to the fact that Gene was once more present in his life. She herself had similar abilities to the dead medium so perhaps she was indirectly acting as a balance in his limited state, thus allowing Naru to ease up on his strict regime.), before he spoke. "Your theory has been noted but given that we have not yet been present for so much as twenty-four hours, I will reserve judgement," he drawled quietly.

Monk stared down into the depths of his empty coffee mug casually, wondering just when he had consumed it all. He set it down with a sigh and leaned back in his chair to stretch while the others watched on knowing that there was more to come.

And sure enough:

"Would you prefer we perform our usual blessings and exorcisms to cleanse the area or would you prefer to drag this out longer so that your uncle is satisfied?"

"Shots fired," Yasuhara commented into his own coffee mug before he took a sip and smirked at the way the rest of those at the table winced and hunched their shoulders. It wasn't rare for someone on the team to butt heads with their boss, far from it, but it was rare for Takigawa to be the one in opposition of his very own hero. The monk was a good judge and the others trusted his judgement in the matters of the paranormal, at least, far more than a certain priestess's. If Monk felt the need to say something it was because he felt strongly on the matter and had thought it over for a great length of time before he even thought to open his mouth.

"You misunderstand why we are here, Takigawa-san," Naru returned fire just as calmly, "This is not some client in need of help so much as an opportunity BSPR jumped at to collect and document evidence to prove the existence of the paranormal to the world. To answer your question – We will not be performing any blessings or exorcisms today. Perhaps when we have been able to confirm a haunting and document it, and deemed it dangerous, such actions may be taken. But not at this time."

Mai had been mid sip of her own cup of coffee, needing a bit more than her usual green tea after all the traveling they had done over the past few days, but as Naru's words registered her mug was slammed down onto the table in ire. Something akin to appalment flickered across her face and she lifted her eyes to Masako, who sat across from her, and they shared a look of bewilderment.

Had Naru just implied that they would only attempt to deal with a spirit if they were able to get actual recorded footage of it _and_ only if it had been deemed dangerous? As in, unless it was successfully documented that a dangerous spirit haunted the property they would take no action? Surely he was not saying, in the most political way possible, that they were to leave any lingering spirits to continue to suffer their purgatorial existence for the sake of science.

Mai stood abruptly, he chair skidding back across the hardwood floor, and glued her eyes to the table in front of her while she attempted to process the whirling thoughts in her head. She had reacted on pure emotion, her body demanding action be taken, and realized belatedly what she had done.

The table had fallen silent, eyes turned to her with trepidation.

"Mai."

Mai lifted her hand to put a halt to any further words. No doubt, he had been about to admonish her for her behavior but it was safe to assume, for everyone at the table, that it was not the best time.

Surprisingly, Masako stood as well, a kimono sleeve lifted to hide the frown marring her delicate features.

"Perhaps, you would like to explore the gardens, Mai?" Masako murmured from behind her sleeve as the other woman lifted her other hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. It was obvious she was struggling mightily with her tongue in that moment to swallow the words that were building in her mind. Mai nodded once, curtly, before the two women excused themselves while the others at the table watched them depart.

"Now that you just offended the only two lines of communication we have with any possible spirits," Ayako drawled dryly before she downed the rest of her tea, "I'm going to take a shower."

John let out a saddened sigh while Monk crossed his arms with a grimace.

"Sometimes I forget just how much Mai is like Gene," Lin murmured from Naru's right.

Madoka worried her lip and drummed her fingers over the table nervously while the temperature of the room dropped by two degrees and the young man sitting next to her tightened the hold on his fork until it bent in his hand and the pronged end fell to the table with a soft clatter. It was rare for Naru to react to other's anger at him, but when it was Mai, and she had so easily silenced him with a simple wave of her hand, and the others were left to sit there and stare at him in shock, and he denied the opportunity to correct the situation . . .well, she had no doubt he was feeling quite powerless. And, she noted with a vague hint of amusement, he was probably realizing just how whipped he was. She'd never known anyone able to cause the great Oliver Davis to eat his own foot.

Yasuhara twiddled his thumbs on the table and clicked his tongue before he suddenly pulled his laptop out and opened the word document where he contained the records of moments in which Lin laughed. Pointedly, he created a new column titled 'Naru vs Mai'.

"Perhaps we should have been more upfront with Mai and Hara-san about the nature of this case," Lin added quietly to his long time charge and friend as he laid a restraining hand on his shoulder.

Naru was silent but those remaining in the room did not miss the way in which he drew in a steadying breath and let it out slowly, shoulders relaxing, before he leaned back in the chair and dropped the remainder of the fork to the table.

"I assumed they would be professional enough to understand, apparently, I was mistaken," Naru muttered quietly.

"Oliver," John admonished quietly. The table fell silent again.

Perhaps it was the use of his given name. Perhaps it was the fact that it was _John Brown_ who had spoken it; a kind priest who was loyal to a fault and had trusted Naru from day one to work alongside him. Perhaps it was a combination of both. Either way, Naru found himself thoroughly chastised in a way not even his adoptive mother could manage. He lifted a hand to his mouth and took a moment to gather his thoughts before he pushed himself to his feet.

"Lin, watch the base," he muttered as he strode around the table towards the doors, "I'm going to shower."

Yasuhara added a third column to his collection titled 'Angry John'.

"What just happened?" Jenna asked bemusedly from the sofa.

"A moral disagreement."

"A lover's quarrel."

Lin and Yasuhara answered simultaneously.

"Both," Monk moaned into his hands as he rubbed at his face. His fingers brushed back through his hair before he heaved a heavy sigh and worked to retie his favored low ponytail. "My fault," he stated, "Shouldn't have opened my mouth."

"Nonsense," Madoka chided gently, a small smile pulling at her lips, "Naru values your opinion and valid debate is a good way to sharpen the mind."

"If Naru-bou's mind was any sharper he'd cut diamonds," Monk muttered.

Charles had kept one pond operational over the years, Mai and Masako discovered, and later learned that ponds were one of his hobbies as he loved to raise and care for koi. It was a nice connection to home, Mai felt, as the two women sat on a stone bench and stared into the crystal clear depths filled with tens of koi. Their colors were all vibrant and their size large, hinting at the care they were provided, and when Mai curiously stuck her finger in the water she realized the pond was heated.

A gentle breeze, crisp and cool, rustled the leaves of the tree overhead while they watched the fish swimming about.

"I may have overreacted again," Mai admitted suddenly after several minutes of mulish silence. She played with the key in her hands, having taken it out thoughtlessly, and watched as the smooth metal glinted in the light.

Masako sighed, a rare display of emotion, and clasped her hands together in her lap. "Maybe," she admitted quietly, "But I feel just as frustrated as you and I admire you for feeling free to openly act on your passion . . ."

Mai turned wide eyes onto the medium, surprised at the roundabout compliment, and blushed. "I just can't believe he would say such a thing after the years we've worked together. We all worked so hard to help all those in need, both the living and the dead, and to hear him so callously dismiss it all for scientific research . . ." Mai mumbled. She felt her eyes burning and was mortified at the beginning of tears.

"He is a scientist after all," Masako murmured with a slight frown and furrow between her brows. Her eyes followed a beautiful white koi with long flowing fins as it meandered around the more energetic fish that shared its home. "But still, I understand, it feels like betrayal," she added after a moment.

"I hope I _don't_ have any dreams," Mai muttered and crossed her arms with a scowl. "You said you sensed many strange spirits here?" Mai asked urgently as the memory returned to her in that moment. She turned in her seat to eye Masako seriously as the woman lifted a sleeve to her mouth in thought.

"Yes, but it was as if they had all merged together and become weak. Like they are dissipating over time and their essence has blurred together," she theorized hesitantly.

"Dissipating?" Mai questioned curiously.

Masako leaned back on the bench and finally tore her eyes from the pond to look up at the roiling clouds above, more rain was sure to come. "You are familiar with the theory that spirits are the remaining energy that leaves the body once a person passes on?" she asked after a moment's thought.

Mai nodded once.

"Well," Masako began with a sigh, "As you know, energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred, so imagine a spirit is like hot water. If you take a cup of water and dump it into a bucket of cold water, it will eventually dissipate and while the bucket of water may warm by a fraction, over time, it will return to the same temperature given its environment does not change. The energy has left the water and moved elsewhere, so to speak."

"Could it be a form of natural cleansing?" Mai pondered aloud with a finger to her chin. "Eventually, without stimulation or additional energy provided, a spirit will naturally dissipate and pass on?"

"Possibly, though it is not something I have encountered in Japan. I believe this to be due to the fact that Japan is such a spiritualistic country and is an island far smaller than this continent. It might just be very rare to occur in our country," Masako added quietly.

"Of course, we would have no way to know, thus, study must be done to confirm," Mai grumbled darkly and crossed her arms once more with a sigh.

"Indeed," Masako stated primly, sleeve lifted once more and eyes shut against the atrocity that Naru had implied earlier.

Mai wiped at the stray tear that finally broke the surface and they soon returned to base.

Mai made tea without request and set Naru's down next to him on the table where he sat in front of his notebook and the monitors. His hair was wet and combed away from his forehead. A sure sign that he had been running his hands through it while pondering a particularly frustrating problem. Mai felt a pang of guilt upon realizing that the problem had most likely been her. She bit her lip as he lifted steady and cool eyes to hers before she opened her mouth to apologize.

"I'm sorry," Naru stated quietly.

Mai's mouth shut with a click and she pulled in a calming breath through her nose before she let it back out and grumbled; "You did that on purpose."

The corner of his mouth twitched and a small smile bloomed, "Watching you work up the nerve only to be denied your opportunity is rather amusing."

Mai scowled but a snort was soon to follow and she turned to pick up his old tea cup in order to hide the grin she could not fight. "Well, while Masako and I were cursing your name, we may have stumbled across a theory," she said lightly.

Naru quirked a brow, wordlessly requesting her to continue, while Mai took the opportunity to reach for his tea and take a sip of her own before setting it back down. He narrowed his eyes fractionally and stealthily slid the cup out of her reach while she turned to set the tray down on the table.

"Masako thinks that, due to the lack of stimuli over the past several decades, the spirits have begun to dissipate. We think this might be a form of natural cleansing but we can't be too sure until we've . . ._observed_ it," she struggled to finish.

Naru watched as she grimaced at having to use such terminology and reached over to squeeze the hand she had set on the table and leaned against before he stood and slid the same hand into his pocket. "We'll discuss this with the team during lunch, in the meantime, take Rocco for a walk and then come back to do temperatures," Naru murmured.

Mai saluted him dutifully before she turned and called for Rocco and the horse of a dog climbed to his feet to trot after her, his nails clicking against the hardwood floors of the base.

"Did you get that?" Jenna asked Avery from where they sat around the coffee table. Gunner, Jamison, and Todd had already left to follow Monk and John around the upper floors of the palace.

"The hand holding or the smiling? Because I got both," Avery murmured as he set the camera down in his lap and rewound the footage to watch the short discussion once more.

Jenna glanced over to where Naru had last been standing and blanched as she was met with a cold glare that sent shivers down her spine. She quickly turned back to the tablet in her hand and poked a few buttons randomly to make herself look busy while Avery bit his lip to restrain his laughter and pretended not to notice.

The day went by quickly. There was not much to do due to the lack of activity but there were so many people working together that there was never a dull moment. New personalities were thrown into the mixing pot that was JSPR and in the process of searching out paranormal activity they were getting to know each other quite well. Many a joke was had at each other's expenses and Mai couldn't be happier. Though, it should be noted, Naru seemed to be reaching his limit. She made sure to provide him with enough tea to keep his spirits up while the raucous continued on into the late hours of the day but she could tell he needed a break.

Madoka and Yasuhara had returned from interviewing the locals of the nearby town an hour ago and the woman had thought to go shopping for some groceries so that they could prepare their own food instead of having to order out for the next two weeks.

"Why don't we take a break and I'll work on making us something to eat," Mai offered as she handed Lin her clipboard filled with temperatures from the east side of the property. Lin took it wordlessly and pulled up a document to input the information.

Naru sighed as he shut his notebook and pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes swimming from all the numbers and facts pertaining to the palace that he had been reviewing all day. "Fair enough," he stated and pushed himself to his feet.

"I'll help!" Madoka exclaimed cheerily from where she sat over by a window next to Yasuhara.

"I'm not a bad cook, if you'll have me," Avery offered as he stood to stretch out the kinks in his back.

"Perfect!" Mai cheered.

"Lin," Naru called as he turned to look back at the man still seated before the monitors.

"I'll have Takigawa-san take over once he gets back so I can take a break," Lin assured the man as he continued to type away.

Naru followed the rest of the group as they shuffled out of the base and went their separate ways. The three who had offered to cook turned down a hall that ran under one set of the foyer stairs to head back towards the kitchens while the others headed up stairs to wash up and relax before dinner. Naru paused for a moment before pulling his phone from his back pocket and searched through the minuscule list of contacts for his father's number and dialing out.

With phone ringing he continued forward and out through one of the heavy front doors for better reception.

"How is it looking over there?" Martin's voice filtered through the small phone speaker. It was a bit tinny due to the lack of proper reception but Naru could make it out easily enough.

"Rather dry," Naru admitted with a sigh, "Neither Hara-san or Mai were able to pick up anything malicious though they did admit there was some sort of congregation of weak spirits. Mai's exact word had been 'dissipating'."

"Interesting," Martin murmured from the other end of the line, "I suppose Michael will be happy to hear that. It confirms his theory. If you could, I'd like you to CC Michael into all reports from now on so that he may be included."

"Of course," Naru responded curtly. "In the mean time, please watch over Henry."

Martin chuckled grimly, "I make no promises, Noll, but I can try."

Mai decided she rather liked Avery. He was a tall and quiet man with short styled sandy blond hair and glimmering green eyes that were very intelligent. But his silence was not of the same variety that Lin or Naru carried, rather, it was more observational and when he did decide to break his silence it was normally with a joke or witty comment that left those present holding their aching sides with laughter. He was an easy and approachable guy and (Mai was pleased to find out) an excellent cook.

Given that their group was so large and they needed a lot of food to fill all of their stomachs, Avery had suggested they make something simple, and so he had recommended spaghetti. While Mai had worked to boil water and cook the pasta itself, he had whipped up a homemade red sauce, and Madoka sliced loaves of bread and slathered them in butter and garlic. The smells that blossomed under the overhead lights of that beautiful kitchen were mesmerizing. Simmering tomatoes and sizzling buttery garlic filled their noses and made their mouths water.

Avery stirred the simmering sauce before he dipped a spoon in to try a taste. He seemed satisfied with his creation because he soon lifted his fingers to his mouth, kissed them, and exclaimed "Perfezione!"

Mai giggled as she dumped the boiling water and pasta into a strainer in the sink and stepped back to avoid the resulting plume of steam. She was actually enjoying herself in the large kitchen they had commandeered and wished she would one day be able to afford such a luxury. There was two of everything! Two stoves, two ovens, two refrigerators, and so on. And, she had noted happily, enough surface space to accommodate at least a dozen people working comfortably. An island ran the length of the kitchen topped in white marble and gleamed in the bright light of the overhead bulbs cheerily.

"Maybe we should eat in here tonight," Mai mused aloud while waiting for the pasta to drain. Her gaze drifted to the large window next to the kitchen door that led out into the garden behind the building. The light was starting to dim and take on the blue hue of oncoming night. Something like a thrill of nerves shot down her spine and she turned back to the warm lighting and steam of the kitchen.

"But then someone would have to miss out and stay behind in base," Madoka spoke up. She was crouched in front of one of the ovens and watching the bread toast, sending waves of that delicious buttery garlic smell wafting throughout the kitchen. She had a bowl of squash on the counter that she had shredded and mixed a basil pesto in for Lin and Naru, though Mai knew Naru had been more lenient with his diet.

"True," Mai mumbled with a sigh, "I just think it would be nice to get everyone out of base as much as possible. This place is so big but there's so little happening I'm afraid we'll all go stir crazy."

"The gala is this Saturday," Madoka reminded in a sing song voice, "I'm sure that will be enough of a break."

Mai pouted playfully but gave in to the older woman's logic easily enough.

Once the food was ready they had piled it all onto a serving cart they found stashed away in a pantry and cheerily rolled it back to base. The majority of the group had returned to base but Naru informed them Lin would be resting for another hour at least and to set a plate aside for him for later.

"Maybe carbs weren't such a good idea," Avery muttered later from where he lay stretched out on a chase lounge by a window. His face was buried in a pillow and feet dangling over the edge but his muffled voice still managed to carry across the room thanks to the tired silence.

"It was a trap," Yasuhara moaned from the table where he sat with his head in his arms, hunched over his scribbled research notes.

Monk chortled in front of the monitors and glanced over to Naru, who still had half an uneaten plate pushed to the side in front of him. The younger man had pulled a pair of headphones on, listening to some of the recordings from throughout the day, and reached over every few minutes to take a bite of garlic bread that he had pilfered from the serving tray when Madoka wasn't looking.

Ayako was out walking about with Masako, along with Jenna and Gunner, while the rest huddled in base attempting to return from their food comas. Monk glanced back to the monitors and spotted the mentioned group traipsing down one of the many hallways on the second floor. It looked as if Masako had managed to get Ayako riled up if her wild hand movements and flapping mouth were anything to go by.

There was a shuffling sound coming from the couches and Monk turned to watch as Mai shot up with a suspicious expression on her face. She cocked her head, eyes roving around the room, before she turned to face the doorways of the base.

"What is it, Jou-chan?" Monk questioned curiously as he spun about in the computer chair to face her.

Next to him, Naru slipped his headphones off to glance back at her as well.

"Do you hear that?" she questioned quietly.

The room, quiet before, now fell into a tense silence as they all strained their ears.

The faintest sounds of music rolled in through the doorway, too distant to make out an actual melody, but the instrument itself was recognizable. A harpsichord.

"The ballroom!" Mai exclaimed needlessly but her statement broke the stillness that had fallen over the room. Monk turned back to the monitors and confirmed that the camera they had set up in the ballroom was providing a fuzzy feed interrupted by static on occasion.

"Lin!" Naru barked as the man himself slid to a stop in front of the doors having heard the noise from the main suite.

"Temperature in the ballroom has dropped five degrees," Monk called out to the room.

Naru tossed his headphones onto the table and strode out of base with Avery, Jamison, and Todd hot on his heels with a camera ready.

"Mai, wait!" Monk exclaimed as the young woman jumped to her feet to race after the group. He growled in frustration as she ignored his call and he turned back to the monitors to watch as half of the group hurried down the halls and threw the ballroom doors open.

The music had swelled as they approached and Naru pushed against the heavy doors without hesitation while Lin paused at his side. As soon as the doors had opened, the music cut off, and the room was still. The cold air spilled out into the hall and, at first, nothing looked amiss. Naru let out a breath and ignored it as it fogged in the air in front of him while Avery stepped up behind him to get a good view of the room on camera.

Mai pushed between the two tall, dark and stoic men and stepped into the room to look about frantically. She ignored the way her skin prickled with goose flesh and her own breath fogged before her while her eyes shot about the room in search of something amiss. She paused as she caught sight of something that had definitely not been there earlier on the monitors.

"Mai!" Naru called and lifted a hand to grasp her shoulder, preventing her from going further, but his eyes alighted on just what she had seen and he paused.

In the very center of the room a word had been carved into the checkered marble. Dust was still settling and rubble scattered about as Mai slid Naru's hand off her shoulder and they moved closer together to get a better look. Harsh strokes made by something metal, perhaps a chisel, marred the smooth surface and Mai stared with wide eyes while her mind translated the English word at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Why," she finally read aloud, brows scrunched together in confusion. It echoed with the same intense sorrow as her first dream in which a woman had simply asked "Will you stay?". She could not put her finger on the exact reason why but she was certain they were connected.

Naru crouched down and ran his hand along the carved marble, noting it was warm to the touch, before he drew his arm back and simply crouched deep in thought.

Lin joined them silently while the camera men moved about the room to document the event from every angle. He could see that Naru was lost to the rabbit hole that was his thought process and glanced over at Mai to assure himself she was alright then did a double take upon noticing that she had a trail of tears running down her face unhindered.

"Mai," he called her name quietly, not wanting to startle her, and watched as she jumped before turning wide eyes to meet his.

Naru turned to look back at her, brows furrowed, "What is it, Mai?"

Mai blinked before she registered the wetness on her face and reached up to hurriedly wipe the tears away. There was a heavy ache in her chest as something swelled over her, overwhelmingly, and she struggled against a sob caught within her throat. What was wrong with her? She waited to answer Naru, one hand held to her cheek where she had lifted it to deal with the tears while the other gripped her shirt, and analyzed the emotions she was feeling. She drew in a breath to speak but it caught on the sob and she coughed before covering her mouth to suppress the noise.

"It's, uh . . ." she struggled and then covered her eyes as more tears spilled forth, "It's just so desperate and lonely . . ." she managed to continue as her lips trembled. "I'm sorry," she hurried to apologize before she lost the battle completely.

"What is?" Naru questioned, though a bit more gently.

Lin gripped Mai's shoulder and shook his head once as he met Naru's eyes. He had all of two weeks to question her on what it was she had picked up on, he could afford her a few moments to gather herself.

Naru seemed to register this as his face relaxed and he stepped forward to lay a hand on the small of Mai's back and guided her away from the carving and back towards the main entrance of the ballroom. The sound of her sniffling echoed in the large room while camera crew followed after them at a slower pace.

They returned back to base. Thankfully, Mai had been able to compose herself before facing Ayako and Masako, who were both confused and frantic to know what had happened while they were out walking about to do a walk through. Naru pushed Mai towards them, refusing to answer their many questions, and simply said; "Take Mai back to your room and put her to bed."

Mai scowled at the treatment but did not argue as Ayako wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dragged her back to their room in the main sweet. Ayako ushered her into the bathroom as she set about drawing a bath and made no comment as Rocco padded in after them to lay next to the inlaid tub to absorb some of the excess warmth that rose off of the water.

"Why don't you relax for a bit before you jump into bed," Ayako advised and dropped a blue and sparkling bathbomb, procured from where Mai did not know, into the water. Mai watched as the water bubbled and frothed and turned oceanic in color. Streams of flickering sparkles roiled just beneath the surface, and for a silly moment, she thought that it reminded her of Naru's eyes.

"Okay," Mai voiced absently as Ayako breezed out of the bathroom and left the door open just a crack. With a shrug she pulled her clothes off and stepped down into the hot water with a relieved sigh. She reached over to shut the water off once it rose to her shoulders and wiggled her toes about happily. The water was so dark thanks to the bath bomb that she couldn't even see her hands without bringing them to the surface. It smelled like rosewater with a hint of jasmine. "Now I'm going to smell like tea," she commented to no one in particular.

"I'm sure that brat will love it," Ayako called back to her from the room.

Mai blushed scarlet but grinned cheekily while Rocco huffed out what she could only assume was an amused sigh.

"Naru seemed to be doting on you," Masako's voice filtered through Mai's relaxed daze and she belatedly realized the woman was much closer than Ayako.

Mai glanced over the lip of the tub and spotted her seated on a vanity bench with her hands clasped in her lap. Mai wasn't a shy person but she hadn't exactly heard the medium enter the bathroom so she could not hide the startled jolt and resulting water splash as she flopped back into the deep tub with a grunt. The water was dark enough to hide her body anyways, she thought afterwards, and so sighed.

"What happened?" Masako asked from behind her sleeve, attempting to hide the amused smile at Mai's reaction.

Mai scowled, hearing the amusement in Masako's voice, but turned her gaze back to the water while she thought. "We heard music coming from the ballroom and when we got there we found a word carved into the floor," she explained quietly. Masako did not respond, knowing there was more, and patiently waited for Mai to continue. "It just said 'Why?' and for some reason, once I said it out loud, and I was crushed by this desperation and loneliness. I didn't notice I was crying until they asked me what was wrong," she finished with another sigh.

"Hmm," Masako hummed as she lifted her eyes to the ceiling, "Perhaps our presence has awoken some spirit from this dissipating daze we discussed earlier."

"Maybe," Mai mumbled quietly, brows furrowed, and dragged a finger through the sparkling water.

"I'm sure we will learn more tomorrow at breakfast once we share all our gathered information from today," Masako spoke up lightly as she stood and gracefully departed from the bathroom.

Mai watched her go before she turned back to the water and took a deep breath and dipped below the surface. The warm water washed across her face and she felt her hair fan out around her in a feathery light and pleasing sensation. If the water wasn't filled with soap and glitter she would have opened her eyes. She was certain it would have looked like she was floating in some deep and ethereal body of water, lost to the world, while she retreated within herself. Absently, she reached out for Gene, as if hoping she could share the sensation with him as it was similar to the feeling of the astral plane, but his presence was muted and distant. She wished they had worked more on strengthening their abilities together but after the Prudence case, Gene had needed a bit of rest.

Mai sat up in the tub and leaned back to stare at the ceiling, filled with ornate metal panels, and took a deep breath before closing her eyes and letting her body relax. she couldn't let the events of the day trip her up. Finding a word carved into the floor was nothing in comparison to some of the things they had dealt with before and she didn't know why it had unsettled her so badly. She just needed to keep on her toes and allow herself to learn all that she could in order to put an end to this trip as soon as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N ~ Thank you guys for the reviews. Some of you are picking up on some important factors and it does my heart good to see that. This case will be a hot and cold one, so be prepared for this chapter as thinks start to heat up. _

Brown eyes opened to take in the swirling lights over her head. She was swathed in layers of fabric and her chest and torso were squished tight by what she could only guess was a corset. Still, she felt a hand resting at the small of her back and another wrapped around her own. Her eyes fell to take in the masked man who spun her around the ballroom in elegant swirls. The black mask hid his face completely from view and as she glanced about the other dancers who moved around them she understood that she had unwittingly stumbled into a masquerade ball.

The combined effect of the movement, lack of breath, and swirling colors was enough to leave her feeling nauseas. The dark waltz music pounded through her head as she was guided about the floor against her will no matter how hard she struggled with the man's hold on her.

He said nothing and she had no idea what kind of expression he was making to get a better read on the situation. All she had to go off of was the iron-like grip he had on her and the tittering laughter and conversation around her.

The song swelled and the man spun her about, pulling his hand away from her back, and when her weight pulled against him he let go. His fingers slipped through hers and she found herself stumbling over the steps that lined the ballroom. Haltingly, she righted herself, and spun back to watch as the mass of twirling bodies continued to dance on without her. Loneliness swelled forth within her chest, threatening to burst forth, and she turned back towards the line of French doors that led out onto the stone balconies that overlooked the gardens.

But where was Gene? She wondered absently as she stepped forward and pushed a pair of doors open to step out into the cool night air. She took as deep a breath as she could manage in a corset and looked down at the dark and sparkling emerald gown she had found herself in. The skirts swished about her feet as she stopped at the railing. She supposed that the masked man could have been Gene but why hadn't he spoken to her? And now that she thought about it, he had been far taller. The man she had been dancing with was nearly as tall as Lin!

Something at her throat burned and she grasped for the chain around her neck that had once held her mother's house key. A locket fell out into her black gloved hand and she eyed it curiously before working the clasp open. Within it was a small picture of two identical women, faces blank of any emotion, wearing their hair up in intricate curls.

"I'm sorry, Irene," she spoke in a stranger's voice. Tears welled forth and her throat tightened as she slid the locket back between her breasts. "I tried, so hard, but it will never be the same . . ."

Her hands were placed upon the marble balustrade and her fingers shook within the confines of the black silk gloves as she was forced to move against her will.

This is a dream, right? The questioned screamed through her mind as her body leaned forward and lifted the skirts around her ankles. One leg was thrown over the balustrade and then the other until she was perched atop it. Her feet dangled over the hedges that ran along the wall of the cellars beneath the kitchens and just a few feet ahead was the hard cobblestone of the garden paths. The drop was about twenty feet, not enough to kill her if she was lucky with her fall, but Mai had a feeling that the woman whose body she was inhabiting was well aware and had other ideas about the matter.

Her heart was pounding and she was trembling as she climbed to her feet and stood balanced looking down. The music of the ballroom swelled behind her and she imagined that the sound was building up and pushing her forward.

No! She wanted to scream but she had no control over her body. There was no Gene with a conniving smile to swoop in and save her. No one would have been able to hear her over the music even if she had been able to open her mouth.

Avery and Jenna had taken up residence on one of the couches of the sitting area of the main suite for the evening. They had been informed, before they had even arrived, that some of the members of JSPR occasionally suffered 'adventures' at night and it would be wise to be ready at all times to document such events. So it was safe to say they weren't exactly surprised when the door to the women's room opened and a dazed Mai stepped out into the moonlight wearing plaid pajama pants and a black tank top. She was barefoot and her steps made little to no sound was she padded across the hardwood and carpeting with a worried Rocco tailing her. He panted and whined, tail between his legs, while Mai continued oblivious to the world.

Jenna smacked Avery in the shoulder and the two jumped to their feet to follow at once.

Mai lead them through the halls of the house on a quiet journey that was only interrupted by Rocco's increasing agitation. He paced around her, cries growing in volume, and often turned back to perk his ears in their direction before he would huff and return to pacing.

Jenna frowned as the dog paused and then turned back down the hall towards them. Paused again, went back to Mai's side, and then turned once more to race past them and back into the main foyer. Jenna watched him go and glanced over at Avery who only shrugged in response.

They entered the ballroom after Mai and watched as she stood in the center over the carved word, eyes vacant, for several minutes. Avery shifted on his feet, attempting not to jostle the camera too much, but holding the position for so long was causing a strain on his body. Jenna fidgeted at his side, taking notes on the tablet she carried with her everywhere, waiting for something to happen.

There was the sound of a crash coming from down the hall and the two turned back to look curiously. Jenna met Avery's urgent expression and she rolled her eyes before she strode through the doors and back down the hall to investigate. Avery scowled and turned back to look through his camera only to belatedly realize that Mai was no longer standing in the center of the room.

"What?" he whispered, a jolt of fear running through his chest, before the sound of the wind pushing one of the French doors into the wall drew his attention. Mai had wandered outside onto the balcony and he turned to follow at a slow pace.

His nerves were at an all time high. The palace was large, drafty, and filled with ominous secrets and he felt it all pushing down on him in the dead of night. Following around a sleepwalking medium of some sorts made it all the worse.

The radio at his hip beeped and let out a wail of static and he jumped, cursing technology, and glanced down to turn the thing off.

Again, when he looked up, Mai had moved. Only this time, she had climbed up onto the marble railing and was lifting her arms as if she were about to swan dive off into the deep end of a pool. Only, Avery realized at what felt like a snails pace, there was no pool below.

"No!" he cried and dropped the camera to the marble floor below to lunge into a run after her.

"Mai!"

Avery looked back over his shoulder in time to catch sight of Rocco as he barreled into the room, paws skidding across the floor as he attempted to gain traction, with a furious Oliver Davis in his wake. The man wasn't even wearing pajamas yet, still clad in the black slacks and black button shirt from that day, and his rubber soles gained far more traction than Rocco's fur covered paws. Oliver flew past Avery in record time and crashed through the swinging French doors without care for his safety, glass shattered and fell to the ground, but he reached Mai just as she leaned forward. He threw his arms around her waist and bodily pulled them both back off the railing, tumbling to the ground in a pile of limbs and future bruises.

Avery collapsed to his knees, limbs weak with relief, and ran his shaking hands through his hair.

Oliver sat up cradling Mai in his arms, gasping for breath, while Rocco crowded him with whines and a wagging tail. Mai's eyes popped open and she stared up at Naru uncomprehendingly while her mind slowly processed what it had just experienced. Her body felt numb but the lack of feeling was quickly leeched away by the cold of the night, left in its wake was a trembling body.

Naru dropped his eyes to hers, still panting for breath, waiting for her reaction. And sure enough, as soon as their eyes met, hers filled with tears, and she lifted her hands to hide them from sight while she let out a pitiful wail. It was like the cry of a newborn babe. Her sobs signaled that she had returned to her own body and that whatever she had experienced had passed. He adjusted her in his arms, resting her head against his shoulder, and bent over her as if to shelter her from the world itself.

"Fuck," Avery muttered from the doorway, still shaking.

"What happened?" Lin commanded as he arrived on site, pushing his way past Avery while a confused Jenna followed in his wake.

"She almost jumped," Avery rambled with wide eyes. He gestured to the two figures seated on the balcony floor.

Lin wore a stony expression as he stepped forward, wanting to assist, but Naru was not otherwise aware of anyone else other than the woman in his arms. Mai had wrapped her arms around his torso and her fingers clutched at the back of his shirt as if her life depended on it. They trembled as she cried, mumbling nonsense words, while Naru rocked back and forth ever so slightly.

"Is she alright, Noll?" Lin asked. He took another step and the glass that littered the floor crunched beneath his feet.

"Physically," Naru answered quietly, curtly, and he adjusted his hold on her once more before he climbed back to his feet with her in his arms. Mai hid her face in the crook of his neck, equal parts terrified and mortified, as he heaved a long and steadying breath.

"How did you know . . .?" Avery questioned breathlessly as he pushed himself up.

"The dog," Naru stated bluntly and shuffled through the doorway and back into the ballroom carefully.

"Please return to base, we'll review the footage there, if it's salvageable," Lin muttered as he stooped down to take a look at the battered camera on the floor.

"But what about . . .?" Jenna murmured, her eyes following the retreating figure of Naru with the quivering Mai in his arms.

"Noll will take care of her," Lin assured her quietly.

Naru entered the main suite at a careful pace. His heart was pounding and any adrenaline that may had flooded his bloodstream minutes earlier had been sapped from his body leaving his arms trembling but he did not want to alarm Mai anymore than she already was. He strode across the room to the double doors directly ahead that lead to a small office and shut the doors with a kick of his foot before he set Mai down on the love-seat that sat across from a large desk. The room was empty of any personal artifacts but it was obvious the whole set up had once belonged to some family that may have resided in the palace.

Mai sat on the sofa, boneless and staring off into space, and looked for all the world like a lifeless doll. Naru stared down at her, fingers twitching, before he stepped back into the suite and moved into the men's quarters to claim the comforter from his bed. Monk and Yasuhara snored away, oblivious to the tragedy that had almost taken place. He returned to Mai to wrap her up in the heavy comforter before he hastened back out once more to start the kettle.

Mai lifted her feet onto the couch and pulled the comforter around her. Its folds went up over her head as she stared out the window into the moonlit night, mind blank of anything but the gathering warmth beneath the covers.

She had just experienced the events that led up to Florence's death. And had Naru not arrived in time she would be seriously injured if not dead. She had almost died. Somehow, she had been sucked into the past and had actually reenacted the memory. And Gene had not been present. Did he prevent such things when he guided her, she wondered, and if so, where was he?

Curiously she recalled as her mind cleare, that Florence had had a twin sister. Something she would need to look into as it seemed to play a part in her death. But the knowledge did not sit well within her stomach and she shifted uncomfortably.

The door to the study opened and shut once again and Naru came back into view with a cup of tea in hand. He offered it to her and she thoughtlessly reached out to take it from him. It clattered and shook in her grasp but she lifted it to her lips to take a hesitant sip nonetheless. The warmth trailed down her throat and blossomed in her stomach, soothing some of the frayed nerves, and she let out a quivering sigh as Naru sat down on the couch next to her. She watched as he leaned forward, elbows to his knees, hands clasped together.

"Florence killed herself," Mai mumbled quietly, shattering the stiff silence of the room.

Naru lifted a hand and dragged it over his mouth before he nodded once.

No further information was needed. They both knew what had happened. It had been theorized that she had killed herself after bearing witness to the massacre of her guests. But, Mai noted, there was something else important that should be brought to Naru's attention.

"Everyone was alive," she added and took another sip of her tea, "Before she jumped, I mean."

"Stop, Mai," Naru muttered, the closest he could get to snapping, and grasped his head between his hands. His fingers raked through his hair anxiously, hands shaking, while he worked to calm himself. "Not now," he added as he struggled with the storm of emotions in his chest.

He had almost lost her. The realization was haunting and he doubted he would ever forget the moment he had burst into the room and caught sight of her about to step out into open air and into the awaiting arms of death. Gene would have had her then but she would have been forever lost to him. They did not have a connection like he and his brother did. There would be no reflection in a mirror for Mai to utilize to cross over the threshold between worlds.

Mai set the cup of tea on the small side table next to the couch and leaned forward to pull one of Naru's hands away from his head. He obliged after a moment's hesitation and leaned back in the couch, allowing her to curl up under his arm, before she threw half the blanket over him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she murmured quietly and wiggled her bare toes under his leg for a bit of extra warmth.

"It wasn't something you could control," he assured her and pulled her closer.

Mai nodded and closed her eyes and took in the familiar scent of pine and tea that seemed to linger around Naru like an aura. Their combined warmth lulled her into a sleepy daze and although a part of her was afraid to fall asleep she knew there was no safer place than where she was right then. She felt Naru shift on the sofa, pushing himself into the corner, and pulled her along with so that they both could stretch their legs out comfortably. He buried his nose in her hair and wrapped his other arm around her to secure her in place before she fell asleep.

"So what happened last night?" Yasuhara asked Madoka. The woman was currently crouched in front of the couch that held a peacefully slumbering Mai and Naru with phone in hand. She had turned the sound off so there was no resounding click of a fake shutter when she took a picture.

Madoka stood and shuffled around the couch and back towards the door and said quietly, "Mai had some sort of dream and sleepwalked all the way out onto the balcony of the ballroom and almost threw herself off of it. But Naru got there just in time. Based off of her actions, we can assume that Florence actually killed herself."

Yasuhara blanched, mouth hanging open, and followed the strawberry blonde out into the main sitting room where a few others had gathered. Ayako was toweling off her hair, clad in jeans and a tank top, while Monk quietly informed her of what had occurred the night prior. Yasuhara watched from the corner of his eye as Ayako lifted a hand to shield her eyes from sight and the monk wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"It's going to be a sensitive topic today so I would advise not bringing it up," Madoka murmured.

Yasuhara heaved a heavy sigh but followed her out into the hall and back down to base. As per the day before, they would discuss any gathered information over breakfast, but he imagined it was going to be far more somber this time around. Which meant Yasuhara would be doing his best to break the mood and keep things light. He severely hoped that this case would not be a repeat of their last international adventure but things were not pointing in Mai's favor. It was ironic how they had thoroughly believed not a day before that the property was the furthest thing from being haunted.

"Are you sending that photo to Luella?" Yasuhara asked offhandedly.

"Naturally," Madoka chirped with phone in hand.

"Can you send it to me too?" he questioned. He knew just the photo album that could use it.

Unsurprisingly, it was Naru who woke first. The rising sun peeked over the tree line through the window and the light happened to hit his face first, given that Mai's was buried in his neck and hidden by the comforter. He lifted a hand to rub at his eyes as he registered all the aches and pangs from sleeping in the same position on a cramped couch for hours on end. He grunted and reached for his phone to check the time only to belatedly realize it was down in base, left on the table next to the monitors. He hadn't spared a thought to grab it when Rocco had come charging into the room in search of him. Having no idea what time it actually was, though guessing by the position of the sun it was nearing nine AM, he was certain his alarm had gone off several times unless someone had been present to dismiss it. There was a brief spark of irritation aimed at Lin for not coming to wake him but it was soon dashed by a cold wave of realization upon recalling what had happened the night prior. The warm weight on his chest shifted and he lifted a hand to bury his fingers in her hair, cradling her head to his shoulder for a moment, before he closed his eyes once more. For the first time in years he truly felt that a few more minutes wouldn't matter.

There was a creak as the half closed door was pushed open.

"Noll," Lin's voice filtered in, lowered and far more gentle than Naru was used to hearing from him.

"Hmm?" he hummed back sleepily, refusing to open his eyes. He mentally noted to have more faith in Lin even if he had just decided that he was glad the man hadn't woken him yet.

"Everyone's gathered in base, Madoka offered to make breakfast," Lin reported quietly, " . . .And your mother is here."

Naru did not respond. Instead, he took a moment to process the information and began mentally preparing himself for the upcoming day with a side of anxious Luella on top of it. Today, he thought, he would have a cup of coffee. Tea just wasn't going to cut it. He reminded himself not to be so hard on Luella. She loved Mai just as much as the rest of them and Naru himself had come close to a breakdown last night when he had almost lost her. Luella deserved to make sure she was alright just as much as he did.

"I'll be down shortly," he mumbled in response. Once he was certain that Lin had retreated from the room he glanced down at the woman in his arms and sighed. "Mai," he called simply and tucked a strand of her hair back behind her ear as she stirred.

"Is it time for tea already?" she mumbled through a dreamy haze.

Naru smirked before he sat up, bringing Mai along with him, and leaned forward to capture her lips with his. Fingers slid across her jaw and rested at the back of her head while she leaned forward to deepen the kiss. Naru pulled away to gaze into her eyes, now awake and alert and staring at him curiously while a blush worked its way across her cheeks, and then kissed her on the forehead.

"It's time to get up," he said in way of answer.

Mai stammered, mouth flapping in an effort to formulate words, and wondered briefly if he had only kissed her to wake her up.

"Close your mouth, Mai, you look like a fish," he commented dispassionately before he pushed himself to his feet. His shoulder popped while he briefly arched his back.

Mai watched him stride from the room while she remained on the couch utterly flabbergasted by his behavior. Her face was flushed scarlet at the injustice of his manipulative techniques and wished that she was capable of returning fire. But she knew, if she ever attempted to twist him around her finger, he would only mock her attempts with a quirked brow and a half smirk. Then he would demand tea. She snorted at the thought and stomped out of the room to take a shower and get ready for the day. Today was the day that the black sweater she purchased for her birthday would return, she decided, and maybe it would be enough of a distraction for one Oliver Davis to serve as revenge.

"So this place _is_ haunted," Monk stated bemusedly over breakfast.

Yasuhara snorted into his biscuits and gravy and refused to meet the glare Bou-san sent in his direction. The Monk was forced to eat his own words twenty-four hours later and it was nearly impossible for Yasu not to see the humor in it, serious though the situation may be.

Naru had strode into base just as Luella was serving tea and coffee and she had swept him up into a hug as soon as her eyes had landed on him. To his credit, Naru did accept the gesture, but he was obviously more intent on reaching the table to begin discussing the previous day's events. His hair was wet and looked to be combed back by anxious fingers once more, but Yasuhara was beginning to realize that Naru did this on purpose, as when his hair dried it would fall back into its customary style naturally. He had personally never witnessed Naru fidget or lose composure in a normal setting. He was aware that Oliver Davis, though as much as he tried to convince the world, was not a robot. He had seen the man crack in life or death situations. But where such situations would have left a lesser man pissing himself, Naru had only ever been enraged. Of course, Yasuhara was not omnipotent and had not borne witness to the previous night's events.

"Astute observation, my dear Bou-san," Yasuhara added a moment later when silence had fallen over the table.

Avery grunted from his reclaimed spot on the chase lounge by the window. He was fiddling with the camera he had thrown to the ground last night, attempting to rectify the damage, while the rest of the camera crew ate around the coffee table. He cursed as a piece of plastic fell off between his fingers and he scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground.

"Were you able to get footage of the event?" John asked quietly, his eyes turned to Lin.

"We were . . ." Lin answered lowly and paused before he set his fork down, "But I do not feel it is necessary for the team to view it. The only thing it successfully documented was Mai sleepwalking and I hardly feel the emotional distress it would cause is worth the watch."

John nodded slowly and dropped his gaze to his own plate. His heart ached for what Mai had experienced and he wished such a lighthearted and jovial person did not have to suffer through the experiences she did. But he was no fool. He knew that Mai would go through any lengths to help everyone she could, even if it could possibly result in her own death one day. How such a beautiful soul as hers had been cultivated, he would never know.

"No one will be watching it," Luella's voice resounded through the room as she set a pot of coffee down on the wheeled cart they had used to transport everything to the base. It was the commanding tone of a mother that she spoke in and no one felt the need to challenge her. Though she herself had viewed the footage over Lin's shoulder not a few hours ago. She would never forget the view from the camera as it crashed to the ground and continued to film, on its side, as her son cradled one of the few people he held dear in life and attempted to quiet her sobs.

"We've confirmed that Florence killed herself and at the time of her death, the other guests had still been alive, I believe that is all the necessary knowledge we will gain from the event," Naru's cold voice, where his mother's had shot through the air, rolled across them like a cool fog.

"So then, who killed all the guests?" Monk questioned stoically with a frown marring his face.

"She still could have done it," Ayako stated darkly, "It was stated that they all ingested poison. She could have easily set it up and then killed herself knowing the deed was done before anyone had even suspected."

"I don't think so."

All eyes lifted to the doorway as Mai stood with her chin in hand, a trait she had obviously picked up from their boss, while she thought deeply on the matter.

"Why is that, Mai?" Naru asked quietly, not wanting to break her train of thought.

"She wasn't someone capable of such a thing," Mai stated simply and moved forward to stand behind an empty chair at the table and gripped the back, still distracted with her own thoughts.

"You of all people should know that doesn't really matter, Jou-chan," Monk murmured quietly, grimly, as the rest at the table dropped their eyes to the table sadly. They would never forget the Prudence Case and how a once gentle and loving woman had been driven to murder and madness and surrendered herself to the darkness after death until all that was left of her was nothing short of demonic.

"No," Mai argued with a shake of her head, "Prudence had been broken and jagged, spurred on by passion, but Florence . . ." While Mai attempted to organize her thoughts and trailed off Luella was wringing her hands in anguish, wanting to comfort the girl after all that she had been through. "Florence was depressed, faded, and no longer had the strength to continue," she explained quietly and squeezed the wooden chair beneath her fingers.

"Is this your own belief or is this your intuition?" Naru questioned clinically, hands clasped and elbows resting on the table.

Mai lifted a hand to her chest, fingers splayed against her collarbone, and bit her lip. It was honestly hard to say. She had been relying on her intuition all her life, whether she had been aware of it or not, and to separate it from what she wanted to believe was a hard thing to do. She was so accustomed to relying on it that the lines had only recently begun to come into focus.

Naru sighed through his nose after a moment of silence, and then; "Is Florence a murderer or not?" he barked.

"No!" Mai exclaimed.

Naru leaned back in his chair and lifted a hand to his mouth to cover the growing smirk that he struggled to restrain. He had chosen to startle the answer out of her and it appeared that his method had worked. Mai had a tendency to overthink things and spiral as doubt in her own abilities took hold and it was much easier to snap her out of the decline before things got too far. Putting her on the spot did the trick.

"Naru-bou," Monk admonished with a scowl

"Honeslty, Oliver," Luella scolded as she hurried around the table to wrap an arm around Mai's shoulders.

"Cheeky bastard," Mai grumbled and smacked Naru in the arm, causing Monk to let out a laugh and Masako to lift a sleeve to her mouth. The action only succeeded in hindering Naru's battle against the growing smirk and he took a sip of his provided coffee in order to give his facial muscles something else to do.

"Madoka," Naru called after Mai had been settled in her seat and provided breakfast, "Did you find anything useful in town yesterday?"

"Just groceries," Madoka shot back slyly from where she sat at Lin's side.

"Much of what we managed to find in the library and through interviewing locals we already knew," Yasuhara added to negate the rising irritation he was certain Madoka's statement would cause. Though they were usually all for tag teaming against Oliver, they had decided that morning that they would ease off a bit given what he had been through.

"Go back today and try again," Naru instructed as Luella set a plate down in front of him, "And take Mai with you."

Mai scowled as she took a bite of her own breakfast but she did not have the heart to argue. Not after the gentle support and assurance Naru had provided her just a few hours before. After years of working with him she understood that sending her out then was a way to provide her with a break to reorient her emotions and clear her head. Besides, she recalled mischievously, she had her own bit of information she wanted to look into.

"Sure thing, Big Boss," Yasuhara stated with a smile.

Mai lifted her eyes to Yasuhara and he gave her a curious tilt of his head in response, confused by the meaningful expression she wore, but Mai returned to her breakfast a moment later.

She cornered him an hour later as he offered to take all the dirty dishes back to the kitchen. He had pulled the cart over to one of the many sinks and was elbow deep in bubbles when she sidled up to him and leaned against the counter with crossed arms. He paused in his work and leveled her with a knowing look.

"I have a favor to ask . . ." she began pleadingly.

Yasu's shoulders slumped and he leveled her with a dry look before he asked, "Why do you always pull me into you schemes?"

"Because I know you like them," Mai answered with a sly smirk and leaned over conspiringly.

"No," Yasuhara corrected her with an upturned nose, "I like to prank and tease. Your brand of scheming is unsportsmen like and I don't appreciate it."

Mai pouted and dropped her eyes to her fingers thoughtfully, "What if I sweetened the pot?"

"Oh?" Yasu prodded delightfully, grin pulling at his lips and brows lifted.

"A favor for a favor," she offered seriously. It was a dangerous card to play with Yasuhara. The man was relentless and held little pity for anyone. If she offered to provide him with a favor in return for accepting her task he would no doubt request her to do something far out of reasonable limits. And if the devilish grin he now wore was any indication of what he had in mind, she was surely doomed. Mai swallowed at the look and leaned back self-consciously.

"And what is it that you so desperately require my services for?" he asked as he turned back to the dish in his hand and scrubbed a sponge across its surface absently.

Mai glanced about the kitchen to make sure they were still alone before she turned to rest her elbows on the counter top and clasped her hands together. "Last night, in my dream, I learned something interesting . . ." she trailed off and watched as Yasuhara nodded while he worked, "Florence had a twin sister who I think passed away before she killed herself. In fact, I think her death was the leading factor behind her actions."

Yasuhara dropped the dish into the sink and leaned back, hands braced on the lip of the sink basin, and lifted his eyes as the information processed. It was a heavy bit of information on its own but when he took into account the fact that their current stoic and well loved boss of darkness had recently lost his own twin and was still mourning, well, it took on a whole new level of bad luck. If Mai were to tell Naru of her findings he was certain the man would not visibly react but they all knew his heart was a deep hole of pain still struggling to fill itself. It would certainly devastate him and reopen still festering wounds.

He could understand Mai's hesitation and want to delve into the issue further but she was a fool if she thought she could keep it from him. It would come to light eventually whether she informed him herself or if he dug a little deeper into Florence's history.

"Mai," he began haltingly and leaned against the sink, "You know you can't keep this from him."

"I know," she assured him with a heavy sigh, "But I want to find out if it's important to the case overall before I go to him. I _know_ Florence didn't murder all those people so her suicide might not even have anything to do with this case. I just want to be sure."

Yasuhara sighed as Mai latched onto his arm and set her begging eyes on his face even as he refused to meet her gaze. "We'd have to keep Madoka from finding out," he stated lightly.

"Keep me from finding out what?"

The two jumped, guilt washing over them, and turned to look as the previously mentioned woman entered to kitchen with a brow raised. She was truly an intimidating person when she wanted to be. She had to be with Oliver Davis as her number one protégé. With their hands caught in the cookie jar they both hurried to come up with something to throw her off the scent.

Mai smacked a hand to her face and laughed nervously as Madoka crossed her arms. "I may have wanted to use our outing as an excuse to go shopping for a dress . . ." she admitted sheepishly and twiddled her fingers.

That sneaky brat! Yasuahra thought behind his mask of careful indifference.

Madoka grinned wryly down at the shorter woman and said, "Locally owned dress shops happen to be a perfect place to hear all the juicy town gossip. Surely we couldn't possibly pass up such an opportunity."

Mai lifted her sparkling eyes and clasped her hands together in delight, "Really?"

"Of course," Madoka chirped, "We can send Yasuhara to the library to do more research while we interview the locals."

"That would be awesome!" Mai gushed and turned to look back at Yasuhara with another one of her meaningful looks.

"Leave all the dirty work to me, I see how it is," Yasuhara drawled and turned back to the sink.

Mai winced but knew that Yasuhara would get her back for what she was asking of him and balance would once more be restored – she would make sure of it. Honestly, she wasn't even certain if Madoka would be opposed to thoroughly researching Florence and her twin before bringing it to Naru's attention, after all, it was a common practice that he himself partook in often. He withheld information from them all the time and while that did not justify her actions, it certainly made her feel better, especially since this was all in an effort to protect him.

"I think you should stick with neutral colors," Madoka commented as they sifted through a dress rack in a small shop. A few other women could be seen flitting between gowns in the store but they all looked of higher class; perfectly curled hair, expensive glasses, and heels higher than Mai could ever manage. They weren't exactly the kind of locals Mai would expect to participate in local legends.

Mai glanced down at the purple dress she held in her hands and frowned, "What do you mean?"

"With your hair and eye color I think you would look good in dark green, blue, beige, or grey to black," Madoka answered knowledgeably. "You're so small and innocent looking that I feel like more vibrant colors would make you look, well, childish?" she added lamely, wearing an apologetic expression.

Mai pouted and put the purple dress back before she stepped back to scan the rest of the rack thoughtfully. She guessed it made sense. Appearing childish was actually one of her biggest insecurities given her round face and short stature. She was often mistaken for a tween and she had already graduated!

"What kind of dress are you wearing?" she asked Madoka curiously, hoping for some inspiration.

"I'm wearing a white gown. It's a halter dress and it goes down to my ankles. It's kind of simple but it's made of good quality silk and I planned on spicing it up with lots of jewelry ," she rambled while searching through the several gowns in front of her. "Lin's just wearing a normal suit with a white shirt so I figured it would look nice. I'm assuming Naru will be wearing black . . ." she trailed off facetiously.

Mai hummed in thought while a light dusting of pink spread across her cheeks. Should she wear a black dress? There was quite a wide selection in black so she wouldn't struggle to find a suitable option, she was certain.

"On my birthday he wore a grey shirt," she pondered, "Are you certain he's wearing black?"

Madoka paused and smiled a soft smile as she fingered a grey dress between her fingers. Grey, huh? It seemed he was attempting to branch out, if only for Mai. She was certain the gesture was not wasted on the girl, no matter how oblivious she seemed to be at times. "We could always ask," she assured the girl and reached into her purse.

"Madoka, no," Mai whined as the pink spreading across her cheeks turned scarlet.

"It's a perfectly reasonable question to ask," Madoka cried in amused exasperation. She batted away Mai's halfhearted attempts to grab her phone from her while she searched through her contacts. Mai slapped her hands over her cheeks as Madoka lifted the phone to her ear and the muffled ringing slid through the quiet of the shop.

_"Yes?"_ Naru's voice sounded and Mai sunk into a crouch in mortification. Why did he have to answer?

"Naru, what colors are you wearing to the gala?" Madoka asked casually and returned to sifting through the dresses in front of her. She was utterly unaffected by Mai's antics.

_"I fail to see how this has anything to do with your assigned task,"_ Naru drawled coldly.

"Mai saw a really nice dress shop and she wants to match," Madoka barreled over Naru's statement with practiced ease and pulled on the skirts of a long black gown to examine the rhinestone detailing with a critical eye. She ignored the mortified squeak that sounded at her feet.

Naru sighed, the sound barely enough to be heard over the phone line, and Madoka could just imagine him lifting a hand to pinch of bridge of his nose. That boy was going to have wrinkles as soon as he turned twenty five, she just knew it.

_"Did she already find one?"_

Madoka grinned and glanced down at the girl who had reached out to grip the skirt of the charcoal grey dress though her eyes did not leave the ground. "She seems to be clutching onto this dark grey one for moral support," she commented airily and pulled the dress from the rack to give it a look over. It was a mermaid dress of dark grey silk with black flowers sewn into the bodice and bottom of the flowing skirt. Black mesh sleeves with similar flowers sewn in along the forearms and shoulders added a bit more cover but offered just the right amount of visual appeal. "I didn't know you had it in you, Mai, but you've got the hips for it," she mumbled just loud enough for the man on the other end of the line to hear, "How adept are you with heels?"

Mai lifted a hand and held her thumb and pointer finger apart by about three inches.

"Really? I thought you were a flats kind of girl but that should do nicely," Madoka continued casually.

_"Then I'll wear grey,"_ Naru muttered.

"Perfect!" Madoka exclaimed and ended the call. "This will look really nice on you Mai, and we can do your hair up with some of these spare black flowers they've got here. I can glue them onto bobby pins," Madoka continued thoughtfully as she lifted the plastic baggy attached to the tag that held a collection of the black flowers in the event that one should fall off. "I told you it wouldn't be a big deal," she shot down to the thoroughly embarrassed woman.

With all that being said, Mai winced when she saw the price tag. She quickly did some calculating in her head and estimated that the dress would be roughly twenty-two thousand yen and while it was something that she could now afford with a bit of convincing, it still hurt her frugal soul. She counted out the cash that she had exchanged upon their arrival in England and handed it over to the cashier, ignoring the way her fingers burned as the money left them. The dress was covered with a plastic protector and Mai was left to carry it in her arms bridal style to avoid wrinkling it.

They returned to the library to find Yasuhara glued to a computer screen, searching through old newspaper articles, and left the dress lying across the table before stepping back out into the grey afternoon light of a rainy day once more.

When they were out of sight Yasuhara slid a folded piece of printed paper into the dress for safekeeping.

"My friend went there during the day once," a young man stated as he and Mai stood under an awning in front of a convenience store, "He was caught by the caretaker but he said he saw a room full of dead animals before he kicked him out."

"Like taxidermy?" Mai questioned as she took half a step to the right to put her further under the awning while rain poured down around them. Her hair was soaking wet and she was glad they had thought to drop her dress off at the library before returning to the streets of the town. She had learned that the small town, the only other closest form of civilization to the Wicks residence, was called Moog. It suited the small and stale town, Mai thought dryly.

"Like the floor was littered with starved cats, dogs, and rats, ma'am," the boy clarified, "He said he almost threw up and he didn't go back to school for a full week."

Mai paled and glanced through the window of the store where she could see Madoka paying the cashier for two cups of steaming coffee. Charles had been the caretaker for several decades now and if what the boy was saying was true then he had left out some pertinent information during his interview. Such an event would surely be considered odd, unless, he was the cause of the dead animals. She thought back to the interview and tried to imagine such a kind man treating animals so poorly but she couldn't fathom it. It didn't sit well within her chest and she furrowed her brows in thought. An image of the koi pond filtered through her mind, crisp, clear, and filled with fat fish that had lived several years given their size. No, he was not a cruel man.

"Did he tell you where the room was?" she asked hopefully.

"He said it was in the cellar," the boy answered with a shrug.

Mai nodded absently before she brightened and handed the boy the rest of the change from her earlier purchase, "Here, get yourself a warm treat. I appreciate the help."

"Nice!" the boy crowed and hurried inside without even bidding so much as a goodbye.

Madoka stepped back to allow him to pass before she pushed the door open with a foot and shuffled out with a cheery smile, "We get anything?" she asked curiously.

Mai frowned but accepted the offered coffee appreciatively. She took a sip, allowing the sweet and bitter drink to warm her stomach, before she met Madoka's eyes hesitantly. "He said his friend went in once during the day and found a room full of dead animals in the cellar before he was caught by Charles and escorted out," she reiterated hesitantly.

Madoka paused and frowned as she processed the information, "Well, that doesn't sound right."

"I haven't been down to the cellars but I think we should investigate," she murmured distractedly as she lifted her gaze to the stormy clouds above, "and I want to speak with Charles again."

"Good plan," Madoka nodded and took a sip of her coffee, "We'll talk to Naru about it when we get back."

They hurried back to the library, sharing one umbrella Madoka had pulled from her bag, and collected Yasuhara and Mai's dress before jumping into the van they had borrowed and setting off back towards the old Wicks residence. It was only a twenty minute drive with traffic but Mai still managed to doze off while clutching the dress in her lap. It was probably the most elegant thing she had ever owned and she had no intentions of letting it out of her sight.

She didn't really dream as she slept but when the car had pulled to a stop she jolted awake, unnoticed by the two other occupants of the vehicle as they were already climbing out onto the gravel driveway, and lifted a hand to her chest. The words _"It knows you're here"_ playing on repeat through her mind were hard to ignore. "What does?" she mumbled aloud before she stepped out of the car and shut the door behind her.

The palace loomed over her as she followed in Madoka and Yasuhara's wake up the stone steps and through the front doors.

Mai parted ways with the two under the need to hide her dress away before anyone else could see it, especially Naru, and shut the women's bedroom door behind her with a relieved sigh. She shuffled over to the large walk in closet, already occupied by several kimonos and dresses owned by the other women on the team, and added hers to the collection. As she straightened the gown on its hanger a piece of paper fluttered to the ground beneath it. Curious, Mai bent down and snatched it up to look it over while shuffling over towards the bed she had claimed as her own.

_"Irene Wicks dies of consumption at age eighteen . . ."_

Mai lifted a hand to her mouth and sat on the bed as her eyes scanned over the rest of the paper. It was obviously just a print out of an old newspaper that Yasuhara had found but it held much of the information she needed.

_" . . . with no other living relations her twin sister, Florence, has inherited all that the once esteemed family left behind. Florence has refused to provide any commentary currently due to the circumstances and wishes to remain in mourning until further notice. It is rumored that the old manor is undergoing construction while Florence takes the reins of the Wicks Candle Company . . ."_

An additional article beneath it read:

_" . . . Florence Wicks falls further into debt as funds are put towards hosting weekly celebrations . . .Outcast Florence Wicks stirs up the community with scandalous parties . . . The Wicks Company falls to recent competitors . . . Florence Wicks yet to marry, rumored to be a daft spinster for the remainder of her days . . ."_

Mai felt tears prick her eyes as the cut headlines continued to grow crueler and crueler as they continued. No wonder Florence had given up, she thought sadly, everyone was so horrible to her. She wiped at her eyes to prevent any tears from falling and folded the printer paper into a small square before stuffing it into her bra for safe keeping. She would have to inform Naru of her findings but she didn't want anyone else to see what had been said about Florence Wicks. She would throw the paper out when the case was over and done with but until then she would carry the words close to her heart. If she had needed any inspiration to clear the woman's name she had certainly found it.

There was so much about the property history that they didn't know, either due to negligence or lack of easily accessible information, they were slacking. Really, she should have figured that with a name like Wicks, the family would deal in candle making, it was pretty obvious. Again, she was reminded of her horrid obliviousness.

Mai slapped her cheeks in an effort to bring some natural color to her face and made her way back down to base with new resolution. She still needed to speak with Naru about what she had found.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N~ The next chapter is a go and it is spicy. Also, I feel the need to point out that I do not have a beta. I've never utilized someone for assistance with all of this, so if mistakes are made, I apologize in advance. I can't remember if I ever mentioned that? I also find it funny that in nearly every A/N I do, there happens to be at least one typo. I leave them now. Because it's funny. __Hopefully. Enjoy! _

Rocco greeted her in base with tail wagging and Mai gave him ample amounts of attention before she detoured in her tasks to make sure he was fed for the evening. She would need his nose later that night, she was certain, and was satisfied as he wolfed down his food happily. He ate a lot of food, given the fact that he was the size of a horse, and the size of his doggie bag was ridiculous. She would be extremely pleased if the one bag would last him for the rest of their trip so she wouldn't have a haul a second one back home.

Mai pushed herself to her feet and brushed her hands off on her jeans before turning to scan the room for her boss. As expected, she thought, he could be found in his natural habitat: the bank of monitors. She swore his eyes were going to burn out of his skull one day. Maybe she could get him a pair of blue light glasses on his birthday.

"Two things," Mai stated once she had joined Naru sitting at the bank of monitors and leaned her elbows on the table with crossed arms. She would have taken a seat on the nearby chair but she was too keyed up to do so and so tapped her toes as she leaned over and ignored the pointed look Naru sent towards the seat. She often took pleasure in ignoring some of his more subtle demands.

"I'm listening," he stated blandly, brow quirked and eyes cold.

"We need to interview Charles again _and_ we need to investigate the cellar," she stated quietly so as not to garner too much attention. While it was not something to be kept secret from the rest of the team she didn't want to disturb anyone with her findings either. Everyone was busy with their own tasks at the moment and she didn't want to sway anyone's opinions of the case until there was more information gathered. "But not in that order because the two are connected and I don't want to offend Charles by inquiring about the cellar and then investigating regardless of what he says," she amended quickly.

Naru let out a breath through his nose which, over years of working with him, Mai had realized was his version of a laugh. One day she hoped to get a real laugh out of him but she had a feeling it would be at her expense and was still weighing the worth.

"And what are we looking for?" Naru implored dryly as he leaned back in his own chair. Mai had glanced about the room in search of Madoka and Yasuhara, wondering where they had disappeared to, but noticed Lin was also missing. She could only assume they had stolen the man away so that he could take a break and probably went to investigate the kitchens for dinner that night. Regardless, she was a bit distracted, and missed the way in which Naru's eyes trailed over her figure during her lack of attentiveness. The action was so subtle than a casual observer would have thought nothing of the way he lowered his eyes with that calm expression of his that conveniently blocked out any other emotion he may have expressed otherwise.

"I spoke with a boy today who said his friend sneaked in during the day and was caught by Charles," she continued once her attention was returned to Naru, "He said that he had found a room full of starved animals in the cellar."

Naru's brows furrowed and a slight frown pulled at his lips before he spun in his chair to reach for his notebook. He flipped through several printed pages, drowned under his own written notes, before he stopped and lifted a hand to his chin in thought.

"Such a thing had been reported in the past, finding starved animals, but it was never detailed to what extent. I did not think it relevant given the properties size. It would be easy for an animal to wander in and get lost to only die of dehydration or starvation . . ." he muttered quietly and pulled the sheet of paper out to set it at the top of the pile.

"I thought the same, but to come across a room full? It wouldn't make sense," Mai murmured in return.

"Perhaps Charles has some darker hobbies," Naru theorized dully, ever the devil's advocate.

"No," Mai dismissed, "Charles has a koi pond out back filled with old fat fish the size of my leg. The pond is heated and everything. He wouldn't do such a thing."

Naru hummed thoughtfully and scribbled a few notes onto the sheet before he snapped the notebook shut and set it aside. "We'll look into it tonight once John and Masako have returned from their rounds," he said lightly.

Mai nodded curtly, face serious, before she smiled and straightened, "In the meantime, I'll make some tea."

Naru's face took on a particularly blank expression that Mai now understood to be his relieved look. She giggled as she departed from him, once again pleased with the fact that he preferred her tea above all others, and glanced down as Rocco trotted to her side and followed her back up to the suite.

Luella pounced on her as soon as she passed through the doors with a sparkle in her eye. The woman scared her half to death and she wondered how Luella could have made it this far married to Martin for as long as she had been, and still didn't know better than to jump out at someone during a paranormal investigation. Mai had never punched a ghost, but had Luella been one, she had certainly been ready to try. Mai groaned as her heart slowed and she rubbed a hand across her face.

Luella laughed and patted her on the shoulder until Mai's frown melted away and she chuckled.

"I heard from a little birdie that you found yourself a dress today," Luella whispered excitedly.

"I did," Mai admitted just as quietly with a blush and a grin, "Do you want to see it?"

"You know I do," Luella teased and waited while Mai set a kettle of water on the smaller burner in the kitchenette before she led her back into the women's room cheerily. Rocco padded along behind them with tongue lulling.

"It's the fanciest thing I think I've ever owned and I feel a little guilty for splurging on it considering I'll probably never wear it again but . . ." she rambled as she opened the closet and walked in to pull the gown off the rack. She draped it over one arm to show the older woman who oohed and ahhed appropriately while running a hand over the silken material.

"This is beautiful, Mai, and I know you will look absolutely stunning in it," Luella gushed and stepped back to admire the dress while Mai held it over herself. The younger woman was blushing and a grin a mile wide was plastered across her face. "Let me take a picture of just the color real quick and I'll make sure Noll has a dress shirt to match," Luella instructed her, taking on a teasingly prim air, and pulled her phone out from her skirt pocket. She held the phone up close to the dress under the closet light so that the camera captured nothing but a small square of grey silk.

"Madoka thought the same thing, she even called him to ask what color he was going to wear in the middle of the store, and it was so embarrassing," Mai complained and pouted when Luella laughed. "We're not even officially dating . . . I don't think, anyways . . . and I feel like matching outfits to a gala is a very big statement . . ." she mumbled anxiously, refusing to meet Luella's eyes as she did.

"Nonsense!" Luella exclaimed, eyes wide, and patted Mai's cheek endearingly. "Noll has never taken interest in anyone outside of Eugene until he met you. He doesn't know any better, dear," she assured her quietly and took the dress from her arms to hang it back up with the others. "And while that absolutely does not excuse him from openly communicating with you, mind you, it does mean that what he has for you is genuine," she added as they stepped out of the closet and shut the doors behind them. "You'll just have to train him," she added with a wink.

Mai laughed, a hand to her mouth, scandalized by the statement. Training Naru? What an endeavor that would be. It would be like training a mule. And then her mind turned towards a darker thought. She wondered if Naru would have taken as much of a liking to her if she hadn't been connected to Gene. She struggled to understand what he saw in her even now. They were complete opposites! Unless she had managed to lure him to her side with her tea making abilities alone . . .

"He's an intelligent boy, he'll figure out what's best for him," Luella called across the room as Mai ran back over to the screaming kettle to finish preparing tea.

Rocco stood at Luella's side with ears perked.

"I don't feel anything differently other than a general restlessness that has grown since last night," Masako admitted while drinking a cup of tea. She had claimed a seat on one of the couches and single-handedly kicked the camera crew out of the vicinity. It would seem her prim and proper air sent the scruffier and unfamiliar team members running. Mai could relate.

Mai hummed thoughtfully from where she sat across from the medium and swirled her tea about distractedly. John was seated next to her but he had leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. It was late in the evening and she had no doubt his sleep schedule had been completely thrown off by the trip over all. His own cup of tea rest precariously on his leg, ready to take the long dive, and she eyed it warily as they spoke.

"So we have several spirits present, though indistinguishable, and one story to align them with," Mai pondered aloud.

"Wish we could just cleanse them and move on with our lives," Ayako could be heard grumbling from across the room. She was filing her nails while sitting on the chase lounge. Poor Avery had retreated to the corner table with the rest of the camera crew.

Naru made no comment on this and continued to look over his notes.

Ayako scoffed at his silence and returned to filing her nails.

"Takigawa," Naru called a few moments later as he snapped his notebook shut and pushed himself to his feet.

Monk had been sat at the large table with his head down but he popped up upon hearing his name. Judging by the half lidded and relaxed expression he wore he had just been napping. Mai was quite impressed with his ability but would refrain from crowning him the napping champion when he managed to fall asleep while standing as she had.

"You called?" he grunted while rubbing at his eyes and smoothing his hair back into a more settled ponytail.

"We're taking a trip down to the cellars," Naru stated, "grab a flashlight."

Mai jumped to her feet with her own flashlight tucked safely away in her jean pocket. She watched bemusedly as Monk struggled to process the words but rose to his feet regardless and did as instructed. It was Avery and Todd, a gentleman Mai had not yet spoken to, who rose with a camera ready between them.

"Three of us going?" Monk questioned tiredly as he followed Naru towards the door.

"Given that the spirits have become more active and we are branching out to explore the cellar during the night for the first time, yes," Naru shot back over his shoulder as the group shuffled out of base and down the hall towards the kitchens.

Monk grunted and heaved a heavy sigh, studiously ignoring Mai and her giggle, and flicked his flashlight on. Rocco chose that moment to dart ahead of the group, flashing through Monk's beam of light for a moment before disappearing back into the darkness of the windowless hallway, causing the Monk to jump and curse.

Naru looked back at Bou-san with a quirked brow but made no further comment on the matter. It seemed his chiding look was enough to shame the monk into silence.

They turned down a new hallway with Todd and a handy tablet with the blueprints pulled up leading the way. They passed several more hallways and the air grew more and more stagnant as they trekked on. It was obvious that they were entering one of the less frequented areas of the palace. They had left the marble flooring behind and their footsteps were now muffled by threadbare carpeting that once might have been a deep blue but now looked to be one shade away from grey.

"It smells damp down here," Mai commented as they came upon an open stairwell leading down into darkness.

"That's because there's a staircase leading to hell right in front of us," Monk commented dryly and shone his flashlight down. It was a spiral staircase that looked to be carved from stone. The curving wall prevented them from viewing further than a few feet down. Monk looked back at Mai with a sly grin, "And probably tons of secret rooms for you."

Mai scowled and smacked him across the shoulder while Naru ignored them and stepped down into the void. Rocco sniffed at the drop tentatively before he followed at a careful pace, paws clicking against stone as he went. Mai stuck up her nose at Monk and joined the descending group as gracefully as she could manage on the uneven steps.

"I need a coffee," were Bou-san's last words before he led the rest of the group onwards.

It took them a minute to reach the bottom of the steps and Mai estimated they were at least twenty feet underground. She could almost feel the weight of the earth and palace overhead pressing down on her and she swallowed nervously while shuffling after Naru. She clicked on her flashlight to examine her immediate surroundings and sighed mournfully. It seemed like the cellar nearly ran the length of the palace such was its size. She was unable to make out the other side of the long hallway before her but she could tell that there were several separate rooms along the way. Furniture was stacked against walls and rotting in the cool dampness of the cellar for the mice and rats to take.

"Well this is terrifying," May grumbled and hurried to catch up to Naru who was already peeking into a doorway with his own light. Rocco had decided to stick close to Mai this time around and she was thankful for it. Though there was a stagnant pressure that hinted at years of disuse hanging about the cellar, she could still hear distant scurrying and shuffling of small critters (she hoped) and the dripping of water.

"You may have picked the wrong profession," Naru murmured absently as he swept his flashlight in an arc across the small room. It was filled with mirrors that threw the light back in their faces harshly. Some were cracked and broken while others were covered with sheets.

"I didn't exactly have a choice," Mai mused aloud as she peered over Naru's shoulder.

Naru turned back to look at her with furrowed brows to meet her eyes, he paused for a moment and then looked away as if he had just comprehended her statement, and dropped his light to the floor thoughtfully. Her statement had obviously stumped him and upon realizing this, Monk let out a bark of laughter.

Naru turned to face her fully, "Mai, if you truly do not wish to continue paranormal research, I would never force you."

Mai stared up at him and blinked before she snorted and pushed about to urge him towards the next doorway, "Stop joking around, I knew I could quit at any time, I'm just saying you didn't exactly give me a choice when we started."

"I knew that school house wasn't haunted, obviously, so I knew nothing too dangerous would happen," Naru continued but moved on as she had wordlessly requested.

Mai scoffed, "Masako went to the hospital!"

"Her fault for leaning against an exterior wall of an obviously rotting building," Naru muttered, "I can't always account for stupidity. Statistically speaking, it's just not possible."

Monk laughed again while Todd coughed in an effort to cover up his own snickering. Avery was beginning to wonder if Oliver was intentionally trying to lighten the mood for Mai's sake. The man had specifically stated he didn't want his team joking around while on camera but he seemed to be encouraging the behavior. Avery himself was sorely appreciating it in that moment though as he was still shaken by the previous night's events.

Mai bit her lip and peered into an adjacent doorway and discovered a room filled with musty rugs and tapestries. She stepped forward to prod a stack of them carefully and grimaced when the top most one refused to separate from the one beneath it.

"I'd rather put my abilities to good use, anyways," she continued as she stepped back out of the room and wiped her hands on her jean the best she could. Who knew what those rugs and absorbed over the years. She shivered in disgust.

"You could always-."

Naru was cut off as the sound of a distinctively larger body than a rat scuffling through the darkness sounded far ahead of them and was quickly followed by one of the doors slamming shut.

Everyone froze. The heavy darkness suddenly seemed all the more sinister and ominous. There was a wordless argument as Naru moved to step forward but Monk gripped his shoulder to keep him in place. It was his instinct to lead the way, as he was the only one in the group capable of dispelling spirits, but Naru leveled him with a sharp glare. Now was not the time. They were looking to document the existence of ghosts, not send them packing as soon as they showed themselves. Monk lifted his hand, an apologetic look on his face, and the younger man quietly padded down the stone hallway with the rest of the group following in his wake.

The doors were all left slightly ajar so it was easy enough to locate the one that was shut. They had traveled several yards to reach it but, despite the distance, they were all tense. Naru gripped the knob of the door, mentally noting the warmth it still held, and turned it gently in his grasp. The door creaked open ominously under his hand and he shone his flashlight in stoically.

Nothing moved as Mai peered around the door frame and she was able to make out several chests and crates stacked atop each other before Naru stepped in to get a closer look and the door promptly slammed shut in her face.

"Naru!" she cried out urgently and jimmied the doorknob frantically.

"Oi, Naru-bou!" Monk called over Mai's shoulder before he moved her out of the way to pull at the doorknob himself. It was stuck fast and he cursed and pounded on the door to no avail. There was no sound from the other side of the door that Monk could make out and he took several steps back and rolled his shoulders agitatedly. "Get away from the door!" he shouted before he lunged forward to bare down on the rotting wood with full force.

Mai jumped out of the way, pushing Todd back along with her, and cried out as the door practically shattered under Monk's strength. It split and half of it fell from its hinges but Naru could not be seen on the other side. Nothing could be seen. There was nothing but wall behind the door.

"What the fuck?" Monk spat out. He gripped the rest of the door and pulled it from the wall in a clatter of metal and wood, throwing the remainder off to the side, and smacked a hand against the stone. The surface was solid and cool beneath his touch as if it had always been there. There was even mildew growing between the stones.

"Naru!" Mai called through the wall and pressed her ear up against it. The stone was chilling cold against her cheek but she ignored the discomfort in an effort to focus.

Nothing but the silence of a seashell greeted her.

Mai stepped back from the wall, heart pounding, and glanced at the adjacent door before she ran to push it open and threw herself into the room. It was filled with an assortment of rotting furniture just like every other room but she desperately ran her hands along the wall that would have separated the two rooms.

"I don't understand," she exclaimed as Todd joined her to search for some sort of passageway or hidden door. "How can it just block up an entire doorway?" she muttered frantically, eyes wide in the darkness.

"Did it block a doorway or create one?" Todd questioned grimly as he shoved aside a wooden chest to feel along the floor, "And don't you find it odd that all the other doors were open? Like it wanted us to go into the rooms?"

"Does it matter?" Mai shot back desperately and stood to give the whole wall a once over. There was nothing. No seams or doors to speak of.

"It might," Todd answered darkly, "He was either locked into a room or the room was just an illusion."

Mai blanched, vaguely comprehending what Todd was trying to say as kindly as possible. Naru could have just as easily been encased in stone, or dropped into a pit, or spat out into the night if whatever they were dealing with was strong enough to rearrange the house itself. She spun on the spot and ran back out into the hall to meet Monk at the other door but the man only shook his head grimly. He was sweating and covered in grime, panting from exertion, but was fighting the growing dread the best he could/

Mai sunk to the floor with a hand clasped to her mouth as the beginnings of tears sprang forth unbidden. It seemed so impossible to think of but could Naru actually . . .? Her eyes were wide and unseeing as the half thoughts cycled through her mind sluggishly. Could he actually be . . .gone? Just like that? No drama or fanfare. Just one second a part of the living world and the next not? Mai had no doubt that she would one day get herself killed during a case. She was passionate and stubborn and acted on her emotions barely sparing a moment's thought for her own safety but Naru? Everything was a game of chess to him. He thought each move out carefully, logically, before he moved a piece. But who'd have thought that he would forget to think of the most important piece of all; the player.

There was no SPR without Naru.

Distantly, she heard Monk lift his radio to his mouth and press the button followed by a grim, "Lin."

The radio crackled and the ever stoic man responded with a tight, "What happened?"

"Naru's missing . . ."

Mai tuned the rest of the conversation out and leaned against the cold wall. She pulled her knees up and buried her face between them while the men continued to theorize and search about the immediate vicinity for the missing professor.

Huh, Mai thought quietly, she had forgotten that Naru had been a professor. She had always just seen him as Naru, president of SPR and a royal thorn in her side. Even when she had met his parents and become such good friends with Luella, she had never quite known him as Dr. Oliver Davis. He was just narcissistic Naru.

Distantly, she heard hurried footsteps, followed by Lin's much closer voice. Ayako's strained questions filtered through her mind while a calm John attempted to steer the group in a useful direction. Search all the rooms, she heard him say, stay put and see if he finds his way back, and so on. Well, Mai knew of one way she could be of service. She closed her eyes against the damp darkness of the cellars and slowed her breathing.

"Leave her be," Lin's cold command cut through her concentration momentarily. She heard someone shuffle away from her and she was thankful for the omniyoji's foresight to let her work in peace. If anyone could walk through walls, it would be Mai while she was astral projecting.

Rocco took a seat at her side.

She evened out her breathing. Pulling in deep lungfuls and letting them out slowly. She felt her heart rate slow while the rising panic slowly ebbed away as the familiar cool shores of the spiritual plane threatened to pull her away. But that was not where she needed to go. Those shores were distant and empty without Gene and in order to find Gene, she would first need to find his brother. Everything became muffled and the cold damp smell of the cellar lead her to the astral plane within a few minutes. Distantly, she was aware of her body slumping over onto Rocco, but when she next opened her eyes she was in another room completely.

"Where did you go?" she murmured to herself as she glanced about the vaguely familiar room. It was empty of anything living, of that much she was certain, but if she allowed her senses to reach out and feel about the stone walls she could feel a distant flicker of warmth. She clambered over a pile of crates and landed on the dusty ground with a soft thud on the other side. There was a small door set into the wall. It was wooden and only about two feet in height but it pulled open under her pale and glowing hand easily enough. She was flying blind without a flashlight but the astral plane was always a bit lighter than reality. As she crouched down and crawled forward on her hands and knees she could see that the small tunnel led to a narrow staircase. She silently cursed Monk and his secret rooms before she shuffled forward and stood, a bit stooped as the stairway was not built for regular use, and climbed up.

"Naru?" she called gently into the darkness.

There was no immediate answer but she continued climbing until she caught the tail end of a gentle light spilling forth over the last step. As quietly as she could, she ducked through the small archway and stepped into a dimly lit room.

It was a study of some sort. There was a desk as well as a small window above it but only stars twinkled back through it. A small bookshelf lined one wall and on the other a wooden door stood resolutely having not been opened in decades. A layer of dust covered everything. It must have been a study of some sort.

And standing in front of the desk, in the center of the room, was Naru.

The soft light she had seen emanated from his flashlight as he examined something in his hand.

"Naru?" she called again but he did not respond to her. Of course, she realized belatedly, Masako had only answered her during the Urado Case because she was a medium and could actually see spirits. But, Mai recalled with relief, that did not mean she could not affect the physical realm in her spirit form. She glanced at the door hopefully and stepped over the jiggle the handle.

Naru lifted his light to the door curiously; face free of fear, and sighed. "Mai," he stated simply.

"You got it," she drawled, pleased, but thankful he couldn't hear her. His ego was big enough as it was.

Naru stepped over to the door and managed to pull it open with a grunt and a jerk on his part. He paused in the doorway, shinning the flashlight down the length of dark hallway before him, and then lifted the object in his hand. It glinted in the dim light, a chain attached to a locket, and Mai bit her lip upon recognizing the picture that stared up at her.

It was Florence and Irene.

"I suspect you knew of this," Naru murmured to empty air, "I happened to watch the recording from the other night and I noticed that you said a name while Avery was distracted." He gathered the chain into one hand before pocketing the necklace and pulled out a familiar square of paper, "You also happened to drop this."

Mai blanched and dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to meet his gaze even though he couldn't see her. How could he have gotten that paper? It had been tucked away in her bra! A cold chill ran down her spine was panic spiked through her chest. Immediately, she felt disgusting for keeping anything from him.

"I don't know if you've noticed," Naru continued lightly, _too_ lightly, "But this spirit happened to leave me a message." He shone the flashlight onto the other side of the door where two words had been carved in English.

_"Where's Gene?"_

Mai gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, and stood frozen as Naru stepped into the hall. She had known Gene was missing from her but the fact that other spirits were aware of his strange absence told another story all together. Whatever was haunting the palace knew.

"Wait for me in the office," Naru added, "We'll discuss this when I get back."

Mai returned to her body with a gasp. She jolted forward and struggled to comprehend the several questions being thrown in her direction while she attempted to regain her breath. It was Lin who finally crouched down in front of her and gripped her shoulder wearing an urgent expression. It was so rare to see the man shaken and the sight gave her pause while she calmed herself as best she could.

"Second floor, directly above," she gasped and then coughed as the dusty and damp air filled her lungs. "He's okay," she added hurriedly.

She felt shaky and weak as she watched Lin dart down the hallway with Monk hot on his heels. She recalled feeling the same after she had found Masako during the Urado Case but she had not had time to pay it much mind due to the following adrenaline rush as they all hurried to escape the monstrosity he had become. She had only felt it as they lay sprawled in the grass panting for breath and begging for the sun to rise just to remind them that there was still light and goodness in the world. Now though, she would be left with nothing to wait for but the coming discussion between her and Naru.

She felt like she was walking to her doom.

It was John who stayed behind to help her up. Honestly, his gentle kindness was just what she needed in that moment but she was all too aware that she didn't deserve it. She had gone behind Naru's back and neglected to inform him of his twin's strange absence since they had arrived on the property. She was well in order for a lecture and possible removal from the case if she had been a normal investigator.

"Thanks, John," she mumbled tiredly as they climbed the spiraling staircase back above ground.

"Any time, Mai-san," John assured her with a gentle smile.

Ugh, Mai mentally bemoaned, she wished he wouldn't be so nice to her.

The trip back to the main suite took far less time than Mai would have wished for and worse, she had glimpsed Naru back at base as they passed in the foyer, and she had grimaced as he met her eyes. He was pissed. He had fallen back into the frigid mask he had worn when they first met and it stung.

"I'll leave you here," John stated gently as he deposited her on the office sofa.

Mai could only nod wordlessly. She debated on making tea if only to quell Naru's rage. Setting a small cup of herbal tea before a fuming ice dragon would do little good, she decided moments later, and flopped back on the sofa with a sigh. When had she even dropped the paper? She wondered idly. She had stuffed it in her bra! That was practically the same as shoving it in a locked safe. She was certain if she had larger breasts it wouldn't have ever happened. Unless it had something to do with the same reason why all the doors were open . . . Her mind spiraled but she quickly shook her head, now was not the time.

She desperately searched for some sort of righteous anger, the kind she usually would have fallen back on to defend herself, but she had nothing. Mai wanting to spare Naru his own feelings would hardly justify her actions before the cold man himself.

She turned her eyes towards the windows and stared out at the twinkling stars in the distance. She wished she could touch them in that moment and forget the mess she had gotten herself into. Spurred by the thought, she stood and moved around the desk to sit on the cushioned sill and pushed the windows open to let the cool night air in. She breathed deep, allowing it to clear any lingering smells of mildew and mold from her nose. Distantly, she heard the sound of an owl hooting among the orchestra of crickets.

Maybe she'd own a big house one day with a fancy window sill like the one she sat on. She would fill it with plush pillows and books and curl up with a cup of tea when it rained. She chuckled when she recalled that she had a nice loft apartment back in Japan. Well, she corrected, for the moment. Who knew what Naru was going to do with her. Again, she found herself wondering if Gene had left her, would his brother still want her at his side.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, the door swung open and the devil himself stepped in before gently shutting it behind him.

Despite her instincts informing her she should shy away and tremble under his gaze, she turned her eyes to his and waited.

Naru threw his dust covered jacket over the back of the sofa before he pulled the paper and locket from his pockets and set them on the desk before her. Once his hands were once more free he lifted them and undid the first two buttons of his shirt and worked to roll his sleeves up.

Mai's face paled. He was certainly getting ready to give her an ear full. Honestly, if the anger wasn't directed at her, she may have been entranced. It was so rare that his feathers were ruffled.

She laced her fingers together over one knee and turned her face back towards the opened window while Naru sat down in the desk chair and steepled his fingers together, elbows resting on the armrests of the chair.

Silence reigned between them.

Eventually, Naru reached forward and grabbed the folded sheet of paper and opened it. The crinkling of the paper caused Mai to hunch her shoulders and she listened intently for any further noise while he silently read over the printed headlines. There was a small immature part of her that blushed at the realization that he was holding what had been tucked up against her breast not too long ago. Anxiety prevented her mind from spiraling to far down that path.

"I believe I stated at the very beginning that any additional investigation would have to be approved by myself," he finally said after he had dropped the paper back onto the desk.

"Yes," Mai admitted curtly. She shifted in her seat but made no attempt to meet his eyes.

"This is a research project," Naru continued after a moments pause, "I did not bring you here to save any suffering souls. I brought you here because I value your input and abilities and felt they would benefit this project."

"You neglected to specify that," she muttered.

"I did," he admitted coldly, "But that mistake was rectified before any of this came to light."

"Why did you not bring this information to me immediately?" he questioned clinically.

"You know why," she said quietly and reached up with a shaking hand to scratch at her cheek thoughtlessly.

"Enlighten me," he demanded aloofly.

Mai sighed and lifted her other leg onto the sill and dropped her eyes to her hands now clasped in her lap. "It hit too close to home," she admitted haltingly, "I wanted to confirm if it even had anything to do with the case before I brought it to your attention."

"Why?" he shot back with ease.

"I didn't want it to upset you."

"That's not your decision to make," he deflected casually and lifted the locket for further inspection.

Mai scowled and lifted her eyes to his, "You withhold information from me all the time to save me heartache!"

"Again, I stated any additional investigation must be approved by me. Try again," he shot back, rapid fire, and waited for her response.

"That's not fair!" she exclaimed. He was flat out interrogating her! He had this whole discussion mapped out in his head, knew every move she would make, and was essentially watching her flounder for satisfaction. He so enjoyed always being three steps ahead of her, even in an argument, and it rubbed her the wrong way. She had been prepared to receive a lecture. She had been prepared to deal with the consequences of her actions. It was to be expected. But to be treated like a child when all she had wanted to do was protect him from suffering the torment of his twin's death further was unnecessary. She had hardly made any headway in her discovery and had planned on bringing it to his attention when she was certain whether or not it played a part in the case. This was all just his bruised ego talking and they both knew it.

But then again, she realized with a sigh, he was more likely worried about his brother but choosing the easier topic and avoiding his emotions.

Naru lifted his brows in mock surprise, "As someone of your background I assumed fairness would not be a concept you relied upon."

Did he just . . .? Her brain glitched, the blue screen of death glowed in her mind while she rebooted in an effort to process the words that had just come out of his mouth.

Pure shock flitted across her face. Her eyes burned, her heart clenched, and her blood boiled all at once. Someone of her background, huh? She stood with hands clenched into fists, trembling with the warring emotions within her, and struggled to formulate a response not fueled by the hurt and anger bubbling in her chest.

But she failed.

"Sorry no one thought I was good enough to adopt!" she spat.

The door slammed behind her as she stormed out of the office in the same moment that the windows shattered from a rather volatile lash of PK. The combined sound was loud enough to alert even those downstairs in base.

"Mai!"

She spun on her heel as the door to the office flew open and Naru stood in his anger. He held the door open with one hand, either refusing to move out of stubbornness or using the door as a method to ground himself, Mai found she didn't exactly care.

"Where's Gene?" he growled.

"How would I know?" she snapped back, "I had one dream since we got here and he wasn't there to help me. I'm not Gene's keeper, Oliver, you talk to him more than I do. Maybe you should be asking yourself that question!"

Through Mai's rage, she watched as Naru's face fell blank. He stilled for a moment and then his shoulders fell and he lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. The fight had left him so suddenly that she was left utterly speechless. He was not one to back down and nothing she said would have caused him to fall back, if anything, she expected it to rile him further. Emotions, Mai knew, he rarely indulged in, but when he got going, he might as well have been a train that lost its tracks.

But then she heard the doors of the suite click shut behind her and she turned to see Luella standing just a few feet behind her with wide eyes and a stricken expression. "What are you two talking about?" she asked in a whisper.

Mai felt her own tears finally fall as her mind blanked and she struggled to formulate a response while her heart pounded against her rib cage. It was funny. She could stand up in the face of grotesque demons and not falter. She had reached up into the very heavens to do what she felt was just. And yet, staring at the heartbroken woman before her, she was unable to stand.

"I'm sorry," she finally forced out through a tight throat, chest seizing with barely repressed sobs, and brushed past Luella and out into the hall. The door shut behind her and she struggled to compose herself before she gave up the fight and ran down the hall. She couldn't handle anymore for the night. She needed to get away and the only place that came to mind was the peaceful koi pond located in the center of the gardens out back. She didn't want to go through the base to get there, however, so she hurried past the open doors and down the hall towards the kitchens. There was no fear for her safety as she went, her emotions blinded her to all else, and she didn't even notice when she had finally made it back to the stone bench and dropped onto it heavily.

She would probably have to return the dress. She doubted Naru wanted anything to do with her any longer and she really couldn't blame him. He was from a whole different world. She had thought that maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could climb her way up. Everyone had encouraged her, made her feel welcomed, and supported her but in the end, it was for nothing. He was a famous professor, adopted into a well off family, and wholly dedicated to a field in which he was highly renowned. And Mai was just Mai. A poor orphan who had only made it as far as she had thanks to the kindness of others. She probably wouldn't even be able to afford university if she did change her mind and decide to try for it. She was immature and temperamental, stupidly naive, and her value only went as far as her dreams would take her. Without Gene to guide her, it seemed, she was virtually useless. It wasn't as if she had years of experience to fall back on like the rest of the team. Gene himself had used her as an opportunity to reach out and assist his brother. Maybe that was her true gift, just to provide a bridge for everyone to utilize.

They had met by chance and she had followed along like an aimless child in hopes of glimpsing something great. Her life was dreary and desolate and she had been looking at a future as a cashier who might one day become store manager. She had no assets, no value, that would assist her in forging a path for herself. Maybe, she thought absently, she would have been able to save enough money to open a tea shop.

A tea shop would be nice.

Her mother would say she was wallowing in self-pity and some part of her was disgusted with herself, knowing that her mother would be right but, dammit, didn't she deserve to every once in a while? She wiped at her tears angrily and lifted her eyes to the pond. She could see the koi fish lazily swimming about still. Their movements were soothing and hypnotic. They floated in the star speckled water like graceful beings of another world, unhindered by humanly sorrows.

She wanted to go home.

Not to the home Luella had offered her but her apartment. The place that she had made her own, paid for through her own hard work, and could retreat to when the world seemed like too much. That's where she belonged.

She turned on the bench as she heard grass rustling and watched dully as Rocco trotted through the gardens to sit at her side. Dazedly, she turned her eyes to the kitchen doorway and saw Ayako standing there with a saddened frown pulling at her red lips. It was obvious the priestess was worried and Mai was certain the others were as well. Their argument had been far from quiet and it wouldn't surprise her if they had all heard everything.

"Ayako," Mai called mournfully as fresh tears rose to her eyes.

Ayako stepped out of the doorway and hurried across the gardens. She dropped to the bench next to Mai and swept her up into a tight embrace. No words were spoken and for that Mai was grateful. She couldn't handle revisiting any part of the last two hours. She sobbed into the miko's shoulder, comforted by the familiar presence of the one person she viewed as a motherly figure, and shut her eyes against the dark skies.

If Mai was thankful for anything, it was the few people she had met along the way who had quickly become her family.

Monk shuffled outside to check on the girls some time later and approached with a tight frown. Emotions weren't his strong point so he had left the comforting to Ayako but he had not expected to find Mai asleep with her head resting in the woman's lap. Ayako sat, staring listlessly into the pond, while her figures ran through Mai's hair soothingly. Her eyes were vacant and it was obvious she was deep in thought.

"How is she?" Monk murmured quietly as he approached.

Ayako pulled her eyes away from the pond and dropped them to the girl in her lap slowly, "She's hurt. She didn't tell me what they fought about but I'm certain he said something he shouldn't have. She would have bounced back by now if it was just a simple disagreement."

"Dammit," Monk hissed under his breath and slid his hands into his pocket, gaze trained upon the grass beneath his shoes. "I knew this would happen," he muttered grimly.

Ayako snapped her eyes to him with furrowed brows, "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Ayako, Mai's the tiger and Naru-bou the dragon. They are opposites and when they're in balance nothing can stop them, but that also means that when they butt heads it's volatile," Monk whispered waspishly and crossed his arms in mounting frustration.

Ayako heaved and sigh and looked back down at the sleeping Mai sadly. "Maybe things will be better tomorrow," she mumbled hopefully, "But we should get her to bed."

Monk nodded and bent down to scoop Mai up into his arms. She barely even reacted, dead to the world, and he wondered just how exhausted she had been before finally succumbing to sleep. Ayako stood and followed closely at his side as he carried her back inside and shuffled back down the halls and up the stairs to the main suite. As Ayako opened the door and Monk side stepped through they caught site of the office doors sitting open. Lin stood in the center and looked back at them and Monk was unable to face the man who remained at Oliver Davis's shoulder at all times. He frowned and turned his face away, missing the frustration that flitted across the omniyoji's face, while Ayako breezed past him to open the door into the women's room.

In the office, Luella sat in the desk chair and Naru stood before her on the other side, arms crossed and eyes cast down.

Everything had blown up in all of their faces and no one knew quite how to patch the situation up. They were all affected. Everyone loved Mai and everyone felt for Luella and they were all concerned for Naru, who had so few people who truly knew him and were willing to stand by his side. No one was truly in the wrong. There was no one to point fingers at. It was a small misstep that had sent the precarious balance of their lives tumbling down around them.

Ayako shut the door behind them and helped Monk settle Mai into her bed. They removed her socks and shoes and ushered Rocco up so that she had someone nearby whom she could rely upon. They sat on the bed silently, quietly wondering how best to proceed, before Monk eventually excused himself and wandered back down to base. He wouldn't be able to sleep that night. He couldn't guarantee how he would react when Naru decided to show his face, acting like nothing had happened, and he wasn't ready to deal with Lin's logic. Mai was the closest thing he had to a little sister, maybe even a daughter, and he was far too emotional to be in the vicinity of any Davis in that moment.

War was brewing. That was the best way Yasuhara could describe it. The team had been split and allegiances had never been more obvious. Lin, Madoka, and Luella sat clustered around Naru that morning, though the man obviously wished to be left alone. John had retreated into the folds of the camera crew who sat huddled at the back table quietly discussing the previous days events. Even in war, John was a pacifist, Yasuhara bemoaned mentally. Surprisingly, Masako had pledged her devotion to Mai and had offered to walk the property with her to collect temperatures while Monk and Ayako sat together on one of the sofas and quietly whispered to each other.

Yasuhara took a sip from his coffee, casting his eyes about the room, and met Madoka's saddened gaze with a quirked brow. Why was she looking at him so imploringly? That traitor. He pointedly turned his eyes to John and the camera crew then back to her and lifted his brows as if to ask "Why aren't you at least with the neutrals?"

Madoka heaved a sigh and her eyes traveled to him where he stood next to Monk and Ayako, then to John and the camera crew, then to Naru and back to Yasuhara. She lifted her hands helplessly and Yasu scowled. So what if everyone was against Naru? He probably deserved it.

Madoka leveled him with a dry disappointed look and Yasu lifted his hands, one still clutching his coffee, in surrender. She was right, this wasn't some high school break up. They still had to remain professional and Naru was practically her family.

"Well!" Yasuhara exclaimed loudly so that all could hear, "I guess I'll go see about getting breakfast started since everyone seems to be so distracted." He felt Ayako's stare drilling holes into the back of his head and noted that Naru did not even bother to react to his loud proclamation.

"That sounds like a great idea, Yasu, I'll go with you," Madoka exclaimed.

Curiously, Lin stood.

"Lin," Naru called without further explanation.

Lin paused as he moved to step around the table and follow after Madoka, he stared down at Naru, debating, and then said, "Noll."

The room fell silent and Monk stared with wide eyes as the tall assistant continued out of base. Had Lin just refused Naru? The world had ended as they knew it last night and the apocalypse had officially begun. It was every man for themselves now. Monk watched as Naru's jaw tensed and his cheek twitched while he gritted his teeth but refused to look up from the monitors.

"What happened, Yasuhara? I know you know," Madoka wheedled as the three slowly made their way down the hall towards the kitchen.

Yasuhara sighed and took a sip of his coffee while he gathered his thoughts. Based off of the information he had collected last night after the fight, and what Mai had told him that morning, he was uncertain if divulging everything was a good idea. It would most likely cause further infighting, and while Yasu was all for a little fun and drama, things had far surpassed what he was comfortable with.

Lin seemed to loom over him from behind and Yasuhara swallowed his coffee roughly, causing him to cough, and ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Mai found out that Florence had a twin who died," Yasuhara muttered remorsefully and swirled his coffee about as they entered the kitchen. "She planned on sharing the information with Naru once she had figured out if the knowledge was actually pertinent to the case."

"She didn't want to upset Noll," Lin murmured thoughtfully and took a seat at the kitchen island with a frown.

Yasuhara nodded and pointed to Lin, "Exactly. She wanted to gather all the facts before hand. Which isn't bad except for the fact that Naru stated no additional investigation would be done without his say so."

"Naturally," Lin agreed quietly.

Madoka was peering into the fridge while the two men spoke.

"Of course, Naru found out and was pissed," Yasuhara continued tiredly, "He may have said some things that he shouldn't have . . ."

"Like?" Lin prodded with a quirked brow.

Yasu grimaced and set his coffee down on the island, "I believe Mai made the statement that the way he was attacking her wasn't fair and he said something along the lines of 'I assumed someone of your background wouldn't rely on the concept of fair'."

The fridge slammed shut and Madoka turned wide eyes onto Yasuhara then to Lin, as if hoping she had heard wrong.

"God dammit," Lin cursed and lifted a hand to rub at his eyes irritably.

"Mai isn't upset that he was angry with her, she was fully ready to accept the consequences of her actions, but she was very hurt by that statement . . ." Yasuhara explained quietly and dropped onto the bar stool beneath him with another sigh. "And Mai, being Mai, let her emotions get the better of her and blew up."

And apparently, Lin added mentally, Gene was missing and Naru continued to argue with her, and Luella happened to walk in at that moment.

What a mess.

"Mai didn't stop to consider that Naru has a similar background," Lin muttered.

"Well, I think she saw it differently," Yasuhara reasoned, "She felt that she had never been good enough to be adopted. She's always felt that she wasn't good enough for Naru, not that she complained about it often, but we did use to hang out at cafes a year back and she mentioned it to me once. I imagine she felt very insecure after he said that."

"Obviously, Noll didn't mean it as in insult, he was trying to tell her she was being childish," Lin groaned, "He just sucks at communicating."

"Not all are as fluent in Naru as you, Lin," Yasuhara countered while eyeing the bottom of his now empty coffee cup.

"This is horrible," Madoka moaned quietly and wiped at her eyes. She pulled lunch meats out of the fridge and tossed them on the counter while she mentally panicked. "And Mai is good enough! She's more than good enough! Someone needs to tell her!" she exclaimed after a few moments of shuffling stuff about on the island.

"She thinks he wants nothing to do with her now," Yasu muttered and ran a finger across the marble counter top, "She even said she was going to return the dress she bought."

Madoka gasped, "She did not!"

"She did," Yasu assured her with a frown.

"She was so happy about it," Madoka whispered pitifully and turned back to the fridge but did not open it immediately.

"He still loves her," Lin stated and cast the two an exasperated look, "He just doesn't know how to fix things and is choosing to turn his attentions to what he can do; work."

"If only Gene were here," Madoka said quietly, "He would smack him upside the head and tell him he was being an idiot."

"I could do that," Yasuhara offered lamely, causing the older adults to roll their eyes.

"I'm assuming Naru will attempt to hold a séance tonight to contact Gene, maybe he'll do just that," Lin attempted to reassure the two, but reassuring wasn't exactly his forte, and the two only sighed and turned their attentions elsewhere. He had spent the past fifteen years of his life learning how to communicate with a pair of twins, especially Naru, who struggled with expressing themselves and now it appeared as if he had fallen behind himself.

Lin's sigh soon followed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey Charles," Mai greeted the caretaker as he joined her at the back table in base. They had pushed it flush up against a window so that whoever sat at it could feel as if the setting was more private with their back turned to the rest of the room. Mai had made up a pot of tea for the two of them to share and she had even remembered to set herself up with her notebook and a pen this time around.

"How are you?" Charles asked kindly as he sat down in the chair next to her and clasped his hands together on the table.

"Mai resisted the welling sadness his question caused and instead offered a tight smile, "I'm well, and yourself?"

"Hanging in there," Charles answered with a chuckle. He accepted the cup of tea that Mai offered him and took an appreciative sip while Mai opened her notebook.

"I had a few questions to ask as some recent information was brought to light," she informed him quietly after taking a sip of her own tea. "But first," she added and lifted her eyes to his honorably, "I don't want you to feel pressured by these questions or as if there are any accusations against you."

Charles frowned slightly but nodded once and shifted to face her head on.

"Typically, when we investigate a property such as this, we will go out and interview locals to see if there are any stories that don't quite add up or any information that wasn't known by the client, and so on . . ." she explained professionally and lifted her pen to scratch at her cheek nervously.

"I understand, Mai, no need to beat around the bush," Charles assured her with a chuckle. He still seemed a little on edge but he was far more relaxed after her clarification.

"I spoke with a boy in town yesterday who told me that his friend had broken in here once and been caught by you," she began thoughtfully and leaned back in her chair to provide the man more space for his comfort, "He mentioned that his friend had stumbled across a room full of animals that looked as if they had starved to death. Does this sound familiar at all?"

Charles leaned back in his own seat with a sigh and seemed to be taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'll admit," he said clearly though his voice was low, "That I had noticed such an occurrence. At first, I didn't think much of it. I would come across one or two animals every once and awhile and assume that they had wandered in and gotten lost. . ."

Mai nodded understandingly as he spoke and broke eye contact to notate his statement before crossing one leg over the other and bringing her attention back to him.

"That's understandable. Dr. Davis had come to the same conclusion which is why he never pursued the topic," she admitted and struggled against the blush that threatened her cheeks. She had never before referred to Naru as Dr. Davis and she had stumbled over it for a moment. How embarrassing.

"Right," Charles agreed before continuing, "Well, things had started to escalate. Soon I would find three or four animals in one room in the cellar. Which I always found strange. As morbid as it would seem, if one animal was starving and there was a dead one near it, why wouldn't it just eat the other?"

Mai grimaced but could not fault the logic.

"The day I found that boy was the day I came across the whole room. I was horrified and gathered them all up and had them burned respectfully. But I never understood how they all came to be there. Still, I was very much in denial of paranormal activity and put it out of my mind. Maybe there used to be food stored in that room and they had all been drawn to it, who knows?" Charles shrugged helplessly and heaved a sigh through his nose.

"That must have been horrible," Mai murmured and reached out to refill his cup of tea. "I know you love nature, Charles, so I can only imagine how you felt in that moment."

"I wish I could have found them before they died or been there for them when they did. But I never come across them until after they've passed," he admitted with a frown. Mai could see his jaw twitching and knew that he was repressing his own emotions. It was obvious he was a very empathetic person.

Mai hummed as she added his last statement to her notes before she turned her eyes to the window in thought. "Is there any pattern to it that you can think of? Was it the same day, time, or room?" she questioned curiously.

"I always found them in the cellar but there was no pattern outside of that," he said quietly.

"I understand," Mai assured him in an effort to ease his distress, "I appreciate your help with this. I know it's a tough topic to talk about. You love this place so much but there seems to be some sort of negative influence hanging around . . . it can be very upsetting."

"I appreciate you being so kind about all this," Charles shot back with a strained chuckle. He took another sip of his tea before he patted her shoulder and stood. "If I remember anything else, I'll let you know."

"We'll get this sorted out, Charles, don't you worry about a thing," she assured him with a smile and watched as he strode through the base and back out into the foyer. No doubt he had a lot of work to do, she thought, and turned back to the window. She propped her chin in her hand and watched as the trees in the gardens swayed in the light breeze. She breathed deep, imaging the fresh air of Japan filling her lungs, and let the familiarity comfort her. The pen was warm in her hands as she took a sip of her tea and lost herself in thought.

She was basically just here to help Charles at this point. He was the real client they should be helping, in her opinion. Henry Davis was a rich boy who wanted to throw his money around just so he could confirm the property was haunted and exploit it for money as some sort of attraction, she was certain of it. Oliver was using this as a research opportunity. Meanwhile, Charles was the one suffering and having to deal with the negative impacts such a haunting had on the property.

Ridiculous.

"Hey guys!"

Speak of the devil, Mai grumbled mentally. The familiar voice shot through the room and several heads, excluding Mai's, popped up to watch as Henry strolled into the room with his hands in his pockets and a winning smile plastered across his face. He was wearing a deep maroon suit that day, she noted with a scoff. Mai sipped from her tea and looked back down at her notes in an effort to look busy. She didn't want the man to notice her. Or her tea, for that matter, as she had purposefully not offered to make tea for anyone else that day. She didn't want Naru to get any of her specially made tea by default and if he happened to work up the nerve to ask her, she had planned on telling him they were out and walking away before he could argue.

"Henry!" she heard Luella greet the man cheerily.

Mai rolled her eyes. She was sad that Luella had not spoken to her the night before though it was no surprise. She had been in contact with her dead son for years and she had never known. Mai was certain the woman felt betrayed. And she had left Oliver to deal with the cleanup of that particular mess. Served him right, she assured herself, and doodled a circle on the corner of the page beneath her. Really, she had always felt a bit like an intruder within their family.

She had wanted to return the dress that day but when she had asked Madoka, the woman had refused, and when she had turned to Lin, the man had gotten up and walked away from her! Was he so mad at her that he was refusing so much as to acknowledge her existence? Ayako had informed her that she planned on going shopping tomorrow, Friday, and she could go with her then to pick out a new dress in whatever color she wanted. Mai wasn't certain if she even wanted to pick out a new dress. She was debating on just hanging back with the camera crew and maybe playing some cards or making some homemade pizza with Avery. They could tell fake ghost stories together and freak themselves out while staying in a haunted palace. It would be fun. Sort of like what she used to do with her classmates back in the day. That Naru had interrupted and then pulled her into the world of paranormal research and investigation.

Mai sighed.

She would keep her head down until they got back home to Japan and then she would start looking for cheap apartments. She doubted Oliver would fire her, he was far too professional for that, but she could not imagine continuing to live within his vicinity per his mother's kindness. It was intrusive and insensitive.

Mai ran a hand through her hair and turned to a new page to make a list of possible areas in Tokyo that would suit her needs. And Rocco's, she remembered with a grimace. He was currently sat under the table and her toes were buried under his stomach for an extra bit of warmth. Few apartments would accept him and the ones that did would have a lofty pet deposit, no doubt.

"Mai's going over notes right now, it's best to leave her be," she heard John's polite statement and froze.

Please don't come over here, she begged silently, and flipped back to her notes on the interview.

"Nonsense, you can't work her to death, the rest of you are laying about snacking on left overs," she could hear Henry laughing and teasing them and then . . . dreaded footsteps.

"Henry."

Mai's heart skipped a beat and she bit her lip as she heard him speak for the first time that day. Henry seemed to pause and turn back curiously.

"Leave her be," Oliver commanded coldly.

"Is she in time out?" Henry asked facetiously.

"More like voluntary excommunication," Monk grumbled.

"Ah," Henry nodded, "You've had a lover's spat then."

The sound of two chairs sliding across the hardwood floor reached Mai's ears and she stared down at her notebook with wide eyes. She had stood, fed up with Henry's constant prying, but someone else had stood up as well. Stiffly, she snapped her notebook shut and slid her pen into the metal spiral before she turned and hurried out of base and headed towards the kitchen. Rocco scrambled to his feet and trotted after her.

She had tried to keep her eyes glued to the floor, face heated as she felt all eyes on her, but she had glimpsed it from her peripheral. The figure in black that now stood over the monitors. She had seen his hand twitch, as if to reach out to her, but he remembered himself and it relaxed.

God, why did it hurt so much?

She wiped at her eyes and slammed the kitchen door shut behind Rocco and leaned her back against it tiredly. She hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, as she hadn't been hungry, and while her stomach was still twisted into knots she knew she needed to eat something. Begrudgingly, she pushed herself away from the door and wandered over towards the fridge. There were a few snacks stored there for the team so she grabbed a cup of yogurt and one of the mini fruit bowls to nibble on while she tried to clear her head.

Mai sat herself at a bar stool by the island and opened the yogurt with a sigh. She scooped a bit out with her finger and fed it to Rocco before she tucked in with a spoon. It settled uncomfortably in her stomach. The fruit was easier to nibble on but she knew it wouldn't be enough to keep her going for long. She mentally berated herself to try and eat at lunch.

"Mai?"

Mai turned about to catch sight of Luella as she entered the kitchen and what little she had eaten seemed to lodge itself in the back of her throat. She swallowed and attempted to offer the woman a smile.

"How are you?" Mai asked quietly before she turned back to face the kitchen island and Luella walked around to stand on the other side.

"I've been better," Luella admitted with a sigh.

Mai nodded wordlessly and bit her lip while so pushed the rest of the yogurt around in her cup.

"I'm not mad at you, Mai, please look at me," Luella spoke kindly.

Mai felt tears burn her eyes and she hurriedly wiped them away before she lifted her gaze to meet the older woman's hesitantly. She had not expected Luella to confront her.

"I just wish I had known what an important role you played in my family before I had even met you," Luella continued with a tired smile. "I'm glad that my boys have such a loyal and passionate woman looking out for them," she added and there was a bit of a quaver in her voice.

Mai looked away towards the windows as more tears pooled in her eyes and she rested her chin in her hand, hiding her mouth from view, after she had set her elbow on the marble counter top. She hunched over the counter and struggled against the whimpers building in her throat.

"Noll loves you darling, I know he can be cruel at times, but it is never his intention," she said, "You've done so much for us and I can't imagine not having you as a part of our family. If you truly want to, I can take you in to town and we can pick out a new dress together, but please don't disappear from our lives after this is all said and done."

Mai shook her head, unable to speak without breaking down, and squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to fight back the tears. Luella was too kind. It broke her heart to think that her actions had led the woman to believe that she wanted no part in her life, forced her to beg her not to leave, and she did not know what to say. The love she felt was so pure and genuine in that moment that it stole her breath away.

Luella waited patiently, hands clasped, eyes set on Mai pleadingly.

Mai pulled her hand away and drew in a deep trembling breath. "I don't want a new dress," she stated thickly and glanced at Luella fleetingly, still unable to meet her eyes for any length of time.

Luella's face broke out into a relieved smile. She moved around the island and wrapped Mai up into a tight hug, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head, and squeezed her tightly before stepping back. Mai wiped at her eyes and offered the woman a watery smile.

"Why don't you and I go into town to get some lunch?" Luella offered gently, "I'd love to hear about what you and Gene have been up to before the séance tonight."

"Séance?" Mai questioned as she climbed to her feet and gathered her trash into her hands.

"Noll's planning to reach out to Gene tonight to see if his disappearance has anything to do with the haunting," Luella explained a bit nervously.

"Oh," Mai mumbled before she nodded distractedly and dropped her mess into the trashcan, "That sounds good."

"Perfect, I'll let Noll know I'm borrowing you then, you go find a sweater," Luella instructed before departing the kitchen in a flurry of floral skirts and cheer.

As soon as Mai stepped out of the front door with Luella pulling her along, she was overcome with a strange weakness, and she nearly stumbled. She glanced back at the front doors strangely but turned to follow Luella to her car with trembling hands. If she didn't know any better, she would say she was relieved.

They ate a quiet lunch at a diner and Mai told Luella absolutely everything she could remember. And it was such a relief. A weight had been lifted from her chest that she hadn't even known she had been carrying. She told her how Gene pretended to be Naru in her dreams, how he only revealed himself when everything was said and done, how Naru gave him back to her when he reopened SPR, and the mischief he'd caused ever since. It was Gene who guided Mai all the way up to the afterworld to find Prudence's mother. He had been with her every step of the way, guiding her, teaching her, and confiding in her and she had done her best to make sure he was happy.

Luella cried but they were tears of relief.

Afterwards, they walked about main street for a while, peering into little shops and casually chattering away.

The sun was setting by the time they made it back to the property and as they stepped out of the car and up to the doors, Mai paused. She gripped Luella's hand, eyes lifted to take in the very roof of the palace as it loomed over them, before she turned her eyes onto the woman next to her.

"You should go home, after tonight, Luella," Mai murmured quietly.

"What's wrong?" Luella questioned worriedly, a slight frown marring her face.

Mai shook her head and turned her eyes back to the palace, "It's this place. I don't trust it. I always feel fine once I'm inside but while I'm outside staring in . . . Gene said this place was like a spider in its web, waiting . . ."

Luella let out a steadying breath and nodded wordlessly, "I will then. But I'll call to check in."

The two women entered the property a bit more wary than when they had left.

"Though this is a personal affair, cameras will be recording in the event that we make contact with any of the other spirits, please behave accordingly," Naru ordered smoothly as he stood at the head of the table they had set up in the very center of the ballroom. The word 'why' was still visible under the legs of the wooden table but it had long since lost the emotion that was once attached to it. Moonlight spilled in through the french doors and softened the room around them. Even Naru spoke quietly.

At the table sat Masako, Mai, John, Lin, and Naru himself. The rest of the team stood gathered to one side should anything go wrong while the camera crew were posted about around the table to record the event.

Luella had chosen to stand back with Ayako and Monk while Yasuhara had offered her his arm in support. Madoka was glued to her other side wearing a slight frown. It was obvious she was worried but there was little she could do to assist.

Naru sat down at the table across from Mai and their eyes met. Those deep pools of blue were filled with so much emotion even though his face was a blank slate. She could see the worry, regret, and frustration swirling within in them and she smiled remorsefully in response. The swirling emotions stilled and something softer bubbled forth to push the others away.

He looked away.

"Let us begin," Masako advised and lifted her hands that were soon taken by Mai and Naru. The rest followed suite until a neat circle had been formed. Masako had hoped that by including Mai, Naru, and Lin within the circle, all powerful people who knew Gene, it would strengthen the pull on his spirit.

The room fell silent as the crystal chandelier that hung overhead dimmed until the room was lit by nothing but the single candle placed in the center of the table. Mai held her breath as Masako closed her eyes and reached out.

The darkness that surrounded them was terrifying but Mai worked to steady herself, tightening her hold on John's hand, and let out a small breath when he returned the gesture and sent a reassuring smile in her direction.

The silence was tense and lasted several minutes before Masako leaned forward, her bangs hiding her face, and her hands tightened on Mai and Naru's. Their eyes met again before Naru turned to Masako. He waited, silent but wary, and had taken a quiet breath to speak when Masako jerked.

"Don't . . ." she whimpered pathetically, shoulders quivering, "Don't leave me."

All those within the room fell still and silent.

Mai frowned and shook her head as Naru looked to her curiously. It wasn't Gene that was speaking through Masako. The presence was not familiar in the least and sent shivers down her spine, nothing like Gene's warmth and reassurance. The grip on her hand was iron strong and cut off the circulation to her fingers, she felt the telltale tingling as they threatened to fall asleep, and she absently hoped the séance would come to an end before she lost them.

"Who are you?" Naru asked lowly with eyes narrowed.

"Please, why won't you stay with me?" it pleaded through Masako.

Mai swallowed back a gasp as the words hit her in the chest. She dropped her eyes to the table while the desperate loneliness that had coated the Wicks Palace since they arrived welled up around them as if to drown them all. Mai's hand twitched as she yearned to offer comfort and tried to refrain so as not to misdirect the spirits attention.

It seemed to sense her intention, however, because the grip on her hand tightened and Masako raised her face to Mai with wild and desperate eyes. She pulled Mai closer and leaned forward.

"Please, will you stay with me?" she cried, actual tears forming in her eyes and trailing down porcelain cheeks.

Mai paled, lurching forward under her pull, as the familiar words wrung through her mind.

"Answer the question; who are you?" Naru muttered coldly. He sat ramrod straight in the chair and his arm was straining as he refused to give under the shift of weight. In truth, his grip was the only thing keeping Masako from latching onto Mai.

"You have to stay," Masako continued and Mai pulled against her hold even as Masako's eyes bored into hers with all the desperation of a deranged woman on the verge of death. Her fingers were like talons wrapped around her own, squeezing the life from them, even as she attempted to pull her other hand away from Naru.

"John," Naru snapped over the table, gritting his teeth against the strain of keeping Masako in place while Mai leaned out of her chair and into John's shoulder.

"In the beginning was the word," John began quietly, face serene even as Mai practically climbed into his lap, "And the word was with God. . ."

As if a switch had been flipped, Masako fell limp in her chair, and Mai hurried to catch her before she fell to the hard floor below. They slid to the floor and their chairs scraped against the marble, sending out pitiful wails of protest, while everyone else jumped to their feet to assist.

"Was it exorcised?" Ayako asked incredulously, blinking in confusion as John had only spouted a few lines.

"No," John stated with furrowed brows, "It seems to have run off."

"Whoever the spirit once belonged to, it seems their coherency is long gone" Lin commented quietly and helped Masako to sit up as she regained consciousness.

It was disappointing to say the least. They had intended to reach out to Gene but a raving spirit with no ability to assist in their investigations had taken control and cut the séance short. Everyone's frustrations were mounting and morale was running low as they shuffled off to bed that night. Monk had offered to watch the monitors first in case any activity occurred. Lin nodded his appreciation and followed the rest of the men back to the suite.

Mai helped Masako to bed before she climbed into her own, shared with Ayako so that Madoka could get uninterrupted rest, and Rocco was pushed to the foot of the bed to provide extra warmth.

"Do you think something happened to Gene?" Ayako whispered quietly as she lay facing Mai.

"I don't know," Mai admitted worriedly, "He's just not around. I still feel him in the back of my mind but it's muted. If he was in danger I think I would feel it but I'm not sure."

Ayako sighed and adjusted her pillow before settling once more. "Did Naru talk to you today?"

Mai shook her head demurely but smiled, "It'll be okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Good, because I have a pair of shoes you can wear with that dress," Ayako murmured, a teasing grin pulling at her lips, and chuckled when Mai slapped at her arm halfheartedly. Of course that's what Ayako was worried about.

Sleep came to everyone quickly that night. They were all worn out after the day's events. Tiptoeing on eggshells around Naru and Mai so as not to invoke either's wrath while performing a séance was more than a little mentally exhausting. Lin shuffled downstairs in the wee hours of the morning to relieve Monk at the monitors and the men shared barely more than a grunt in greeting before parting ways. When the sun rose, so too did SPR, and several people moved to start on a breakfast. Large pots of coffee were in the works by the time Mai had dragged herself into base with Rocco at her side. Today would be a coffee day, she decided, because she couldn't manage making tea for herself let alone all those present.

Mai pulled her hair up into a messy bun and had slipped into a pair of black leggings and her grey sweater once more. It didn't smell the freshest but she desperately yearned for the comfort and warmth it brought her. In her mind, it was casual Friday, regardless if every day was casual for them. She planted herself on one of the sofas with her notebook in hand and stared down at the written words blankly, mind far too muddled to process anything more than the color ink she had used. She had kicked her shoes off and pulled her sock covered feet onto the cushions and curled into herself, desperately clinging to the last wisps of sleepy warmth accumulated overnight.

Why was she so tired?

She had cried herself to sleep the night prior and then spent the day nibbling on small portions of food. She supposed she was emotionally drained as well. Maybe she would take a nap that day.

Coffee was wheeled in by Yasuhara and Avery and soon they had all gathered at the large dining table as food was dished out.

Everyone looked tired.

Mai felt better knowing she wasn't the only one.

"This place is too complicated," Monk started them off as was tradition on the Florence Case.

There was a resounding sigh from around the table as everyone's shoulders fell and they mulled over their coffee and half formed theories on what the actual root cause of the haunting was. Curious things had been happening and they had experienced the reported claims but none of the information they had gathered from Mai quite lined up with the lore. The previous information had insinuated that the guests had perished and then Florence had thrown herself from the balcony but Mai's dream contradicted this theory as the guests were alive before Florence's death. Mai was vehement that Florence was not a murderer and had not poisoned her guests.

Now they had a spirit taunting them regarding the absence of Mai's spirit guide and yet to receive any communication from Florence herself. They just didn't seem to be gaining any traction with the case. All the facts were looping back and contradicting each other.

"Rarely is the paranormal complicated, Monk, we simply do not understand yet," Naru drawled while flipping through the several pages of his notes.

Monk grunted and propped his head up with a hand while he swirled his coffee and lazily eyed his plate of scrambled eggs. He was hungry but debating whether the movement it would require to eat was worth it.

"Well, today we are going shopping for proper clothes, so let's tackle all that we need to get done first thing," Ayako cut in gruffly and downed the rest of her own coffee deftly.

Naru sighed through his nose but waved Ayako away with closed eyes.

Mai drew patterns on the wooden surface with her finger, not quite paying attention to the conversation, and also doing her best to avoid Naru's eyes. She hadn't yet had the opportunity to speak with him and she hardly felt like first thing in the morning was the time to try and have a serious conversation. It was going to be a busy day, she knew, as Ayako wanted to take her along to help her pick out a dress and corral the boys. John, Yasuhara, and Monk would all need to tag along while the rest remained at base. It was going to be exhausting and, as she lifted her eyes to take in the vacant look on John's face, she would be lacking in the helpful priest department.

Ayako stood and looped an arm through Monk's, raised to bring a forkful of eggs to his mouth, and pulled him to his feet.

"Woman, let me eat!" he grumbled as Ayako continued to tug on his arm.

"We don't have time, bring it with you and you can carry it on a clipboard to take down temperatures!" Ayako snapped.

Monk scowled but lifted the plate in his hand and followed at a snails pace.

"Yasu," Mai called tiredly from where she had rested her head on an arm, "Will you come with me to take temperatures?"

"Of course, my fair lady," Yasuhara sang back. As always, he was as chipper as ever, and not for the first time Mai wondered if he was even human.

"Mai, dear, can you help me organize the equipment a bit first? It's turned into a monster of wires," Madoka whined. She had taken a seat on the floor in the corner where much of the spare equipment had been set aside, picked up for use, and then dropped back with little care for organization.

Mai pushed herself to her feet with a sigh and a smile, ignoring the way her body protested pitifully, and shuffled across the room to sit down with her. She had poured herself a new cup of coffee as she went and cradled it like a new born babe before taking a seat and setting it to the side. She did not yet know how Madoka felt about the events of the other night, as they hadn't had the time to speak either, but she was grateful that the woman was still comfortable with working with her.

Yasuhara snapped his fingers under John's nose and the priest startled back into reality with an embarrassed laugh.

Mai worked on untangling a length of wire while Madoka hummed next to her. It was a soothing melody though not one she was familiar with. She wrapped the freed cord into a neat loop and set it aside before she pulled another cluster into her lap and set to work once more. Her eyes unfocused as her hands moved and the cords seem to writhe in her lap. Madoka was right when she said the equipment had turned into quite the monster! She half felt like she had a lap full of snakes rather than cords.

Madoka continued to hum while she pulled out handheld cameras and microphones to be set aside and paired with the appropriate cords once Mai was done.

Mai narrowed her eyes in confusion as the floor shifted and she shook her head to rid herself of the sensation. No one else seemed to have noticed the movement, she confirmed when she glanced about, and turned blurry eyes back to her task. She wrapped up another cord and set it aside.

"Maybe we can get a dessert for everyone tonight," Madoka was pondering aloud and Mai nodded absently in response. "You alright, Mai?" Madoka asked a moment later, eyes furrowed in concern.

"Just tired," she assured her and rubbed at her eyes with a sigh.

Madoka hummed in understanding but froze as a scream rang out and echoed down the halls to the base. Mai jumped, dropping the cords she had been working on, and stumbled to her feet with the others.

A camera was out the door after the group in record time and they hurried back towards the ever active room, the ballroom, from which the scream had originated. The doors were thrown open and everyone was greeted to the sight of Ayako slumped to the floor while Monk leaned over to comfort her with a hand to her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Naru commanded as he stepped into the room but paused soon after.

Several pairs of eyes landed on the balcony doors in front of which were piled a total of three dead cats. Flies buzzed above them and the smell that emanated from their small bodies confirmed that they had been dead for some time. Above them, across the once pristine white French doors, were words scrawled in blood.

_"Let us out."_

"I don't understand," Masako murmured with a sleeve over her nose, "It wants us to stay but it wants us to let it out?" Her delicate brows crinkled together as mounting frustration rose. Even Masako, ever reserved and poised, was beginning to wane under the confusion of the case.

"I believe we are dealing with multiple entities," Naru stated as he stood with his chin in hand. "We know that one wishes us to stay and the others want to leave. We can only assume then that the one wishing for us to stay is Florence and the ones wishing to leave are the guests who were murdered here."

All signs pointed to Florence being the murder once more. Now it seemed as if she were the one collecting souls and holding them against their will to remain in the palace with her. Naru narrowed his eyes while the others moved around him and stared hard at the marble floor beneath his shoes. It would make sense if Mai was not adamant about Florence's innocence. He was missing something very prominent and he knew it like he knew his own face. His jaw tightened.

Mai lifted a hand to her mouth, her stomach revolting against the stench, and stepped back out of the room while the rest of the group moved forward to assist. The words were photographed for later review and Lin stepped up to collect the bodies in a trash bag to be burned later. Avery had grabbed some cleaner from the kitchen to wash the rest of the evidence away. And the doors were thrown open to air out the smell.

It was all over and done with rather quickly but Ayako was still a bit distraught after coming across such a scene. She showered, despite having taken a shower a few hours prior, and stated she would be leaving for town shortly whether everyone liked it or not.

"That's fine," Naru murmured absently as he looked over the photos taken. They had already been uploaded to Lin's laptop to be added to the growing files revolving around the case. "We'll pick everything back up on Sunday," he added as he shut the laptop and turned to take in the others in base.

"A break sounds nice," Yasuhara crooned.

"Perhaps we will have a refreshed outlook on the situation once we step away for a bit," Lin stated quietly as half the group stood to get ready.

Mai sent the man an appreciative smile. If Lin agreed that some time away was needed then it must be true. Naru was a workaholic by nature and would continue to pound away at the problem until he was successful or passed out from trying while Lin stood as the voice of reason.

"I feel like a member of the Yakuza," Yasuhara commented with a snicker as he stepped out of the changing room to eye his figure in the mirror. He had opted to go for a black pinstripe suit and a white dress shirt beneath. The shop owner had located his size quickly enough and was looking over him with a pleased eye.

Ayako snorted while she handed Monk a hunter green silk tie. It would go well with his hazel eyes and dirty blond hair, she claimed, and rolled her eyes when he stared at the object helplessly. The last time he had tied a tie was his high school graduation. Between being a Monk, rock star, and ghost hunter the knowledge of how to properly knot a tie had been all but deleted from his mind to save space.

"You look like a stylish mob boss," Mai agreed with crossed arms and a teasing grin on her face.

"Or maybe a spy," Yasu gripped his chin with a devilish smile and winked at Mai in the mirror.

"A ghost hunting spy," Mai agreed with a knowledgeable nod.

"I don't think I've ever tried on such a nice suit," John admitted as he stepped out in a solid black three piece suit and black tie. The fabric shone in the overhead light and provided some maturity to John's usually young face.

"You look amazing, John!" Mai exclaimed.

John blushed and laughed nervously while he rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. "I do feel rather polished," he admitted and chuckled when Yasuhara stepped back to pose next to him playfully.

"Where do they sell the sticks for my ass because I feel like a prick," Monk muttered grimly before Ayako slapped him in the back of the head and pushed him over towards the mirrors.

"Didn't you know, Monk? Naru bought them all," Yasuhara murmured quietly, face straight.

Monk let out a bark of a laugh but let Ayako fuss over his suit amicably.

"Well you all look great," Mai assured them cheerily and lifted a finger to her chin as she looked them all over, "Hopefully you won't be outshone by us ladies."

"I wouldn't say that just yet, Boss, they have a sparkly suit up front that I was eyeing," Yasuhara drawled and half turned as if to make a move for the store front.

Mai shook her finger with a knowing smirk, "Just you wait, Yasu, I may not be the most beautiful lady out there but the dress I found will blow any of your suits out of the water."

"Mai," Yasu said astonishingly, "You automatically win over all the other women because you'll have the most beautiful accessory out there."

Mai cocked her head, confusion evident, and quirked a brow in question.

"Naru," Yasuhara answered simply with an impish grin.

Mai scowled and rolled her eyes before dropping her gaze to the carpeted floor under her toes. Did she though? They hadn't exactly spoken yet and she really wanted to apologize but she had no idea how to approach the man when they were so deep into the case. The image of his blue eyes, soft and glistening in the moonlight of the ballroom, flashed through her mind. He had looked away from her shortly after that but her heart warmed slightly recalling the moment.

The atmosphere in the hanging room seemed to darken a bit and Monk sent a glower in Yasuhara's direction. The younger man lifted his hands in apologetic surrender before he turned back to Mai and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't you worry, Boss, everything will be alright. Obviously, if Big Boss was really upset with you he would have removed you from the case. We all know he's kicking himself over the whole thing and is just trying to figure out how to approach you. He hasn't had any tea since! Soon he'll be suffering withdrawal and come crawling back to you."

Mai giggled as Yasu shook her gently and tightened his hold on her before he stepped back. It was true, after all, Naru hadn't had any tea since their fight. Madoka had offered to make him some twice since but he had refused and stuck to his coffee while he worked. If her tea was enough to lure him back to Japan than she was certain it was enough for him to accept her apology.

They grabbed lunch at the same diner Mai and Luella had visited the day before. The suits all needed minor alterations but the shopkeeper informed them it should only take a few hours at most and that they should return after Ayako found a dress.

"Are you going to look for a green dress?" Mai questioned as they all trailed into the same dress shop where Mai had found hers.

"Maybe," Ayako drawled as she eyed the store as a whole with a finger to her chin. She had cocked her weight to one leg and was critically eyeing the selection before she stepped further into the shop. The boys lined up behind her with uninterested expressions, well, John was politely present and looking about curiously. Monk and Yasuhara were muttering by the front window.

"Everyone else is matching," Mai sang teasingly.

Ayako shot her a playful scowl before she walked away and began her search.

The events of the morning seemed to have been forgotten as they shopped, and for that, Mai was grateful. Ayako may have been the most dramatic of the group but she had been truly distraught over her findings and Mai had been worried over her withdrawn and shaken attitude. Lin was right, some time away did wonders. It was important to remove themselves from the cases they handled from time to time to remind themselves that the living world still existed and they were still very much a part of it.

Ayako did end up finding a green dress. It was an elegant and classic piece made of silk and velvet and suited the woman perfectly. It was a mermaid dress, much like Mai's, but made from dark green silk that would match Monk's tie to the exact shade. It was an off the shoulder dress and the small sleeves were made of black velvet that ran along the top of the bodice, revealing her shoulder blades in the back and just the tops of her breasts in the front.

"Nice," Monk called and whistled as she stepped out to eye herself in the mirror.

Mai giggled.

There was no activity that night and everyone was more than a little bit grateful as it allowed them all to sleep soundly and rest before the busy day ahead of them. When they returned to base, they found that the camera crew had started up a card game around the coffee table and Lin and Naru sat at the monitors like the pillars of SPR they were. Masako and Madoka were bent over the back table working on some sort of project and as Mai wandered over to them curiously she discovered that they were piecing together accessories for all their outfits for the gala.

"That's so cool!" Mai exclaimed as she leaned over to look at the assortment of flowers and ribbons. Several corsages had been set aside and they were working on making boutonnieres for the men.

"What is this, prom?" Monk grumbled as he eyed the collection over Mai's shoulder.

Madoka wagged a finger at the charily Monk and said, "These are to represent your branch. While the Gala is hosted by BSPR there are several other companies and branches that attend and we thought it would be a great idea to make these to set you guys apart. Masako offered to do the flower arrangements and I'm great with ribbons and glue and so, our beautiful creations came to be."

Monk rolled his eyes with a groan and turned away, obviously overwhelmed and fed up with the whole thing, while Mai oohed and ahhed over their hard work. Pink cherry blossoms littered the table along with several green leaves and brown branches and had been arranged artfully then wrapped in black ribbon to be tied to a woman's wrist or nestled into the pocket of a man's suit.

"I love it," Mai murmured. It was a little piece of home.

Masako smiled kindly while Madoka stood to collect their creative children and place them in a box carefully. It was lined with thin paper to protect from moisture and accidental crushing during transport.

Everyone turned in early that night and Avery offered to watch the monitors while the rest of the camera crew took the chance to disappear into their own shared suite that was deeper in the palace. The camera crew would remain on property tomorrow and would be taking turns watching the monitors. Naru had instructed them not to take any action should activity arise but to notate and document what they could. If they felt their lives were in danger they were to vacate the premises immediately and contact him or Lin.

Mai and Ayako laid in bed and while the older woman fell asleep immediately, Mai lingered in the waking world, her heart racing. She had never had the opportunity to attend such an auspicious event and she would be lying if she said she wasn't absolutely excited. However, she was also incredibly nervous. She had yet to speak with Naru, as he had retreated to the men's room before she could pull him aside, and she had spent the evening mentally cursing herself. Luella had convinced her to keep her dress and wear their matching colors but would he even acknowledge her tomorrow? It wasn't that he had been ignoring her the past two days but he had definitely pulled back. They shared little more than glances during intense moments and she didn't know if she could stomach such treatment when they would be attending the gala together.

She fell asleep, restless and unsure, but had no dreams that night.

Mai felt the sunlight streaming in through the window as it warmed her face and she debated on snuggling deeper into the covers to avoid the struggles of the day. She felt so cozy and warm and Rocco was sprawled across her legs. There was no way she could possibly move.

But she was pulled from her hazy state by a pillow to her face.

"Get up you lazy bum! We have to be back in London by lunch time and I am not running late because of you!"

Mai groaned, "Ayako, why are you so mean?"

"Up!" was her only response before the blankets were pulled off Mai and she curled into herself to conserve what little warmth she had left. It was far too cruel. "Pack your stuff up, we'll be spending the night in London. Don't wrinkle your dress and make sure to shower before we leave," Ayako continued.

Mai did as instructed while on autopilot. She stumbled through the bedroom, barely avoiding Madoka and Ayako as they scurried about in a hurry to get everything packed up and organized while attempting to manage Mai. Masako sat on her bed with hands clasped in her lap, having already packed the night before, and chuckled when Mai squealed from the bathroom at the lack of hot water. If she hadn't been awake before she certainly was now.

Both vans were packed with bodies, clothes and luggage, and they were incredibly thankful they had been provided both vehicles that morning. While it was possible to shove everyone into one van the nature of their finer clothing prohibited them from stuffing everything into the back of one. The men climbed into the first van with Lin at the wheel while the women shuffled into the second with a cheery Madoka in the driver's seat.

The camera crew waved them off with goofy grins and teasing kisses blown. Mai felt a bit like a mother leaving her teenage children home. It was obvious there would be ample amounts of goofing off while they worked and Mai could only giggle as they threw their arms in the air while the vans trundled down the gravel driveway.

"I'm going back to sleep," Mai called before she climbed over the seat she had shared with Masako and flopped into the back row to lay down.

"Of course you are," Ayako drawled absently while scrolling through her phone.

Mai opened her eyes to watch as the tree tops zoomed by upside down. Madoka was not like Lin, who enjoyed stifling silence during car rides, and had turned the radio on low to add some background noise. Warm air circulated through the vehicle and lifted the scent of new car and carpeting to Mai's nose. It was pleasant and familiar and for a moment she recalled falling asleep in the back of her mother's car while they drove on the weekends to the town where her father had been laid to rest.

Mai had pilfered one of the pillows from her bed for this specific nap and she pulled it under head now to bury her nose in its plush depths happily. It smelled of laundry detergent but now had a hint of her and Ayako's shampoos and a bit of Rocco. She had made the decision to leave Rocco with the camera crew. His abilities for sensing spirits would be incredibly useful to them should any trouble arise. He was the canary in the mines that were the Wick's Palace, so to speak.

She would miss his comforting presence.

She closed her eyes to murmured conversation and giggles and opened them when Madoka pull the van to a stop in the Davis driveway. As per last time, she slammed on the breaks and Mai rolled off the seat to be wedged between the two rows with a squawk of surprise. Madoka then proceeded to honk the horn at the other van, which had pulled in ahead of them, and caused the men to shoot her irritated and bemused looks.

"What? I'm excited!" she called out the window as Lin shook his head and lugged his own suitcase up the driveway, pretending not to know the woman.

Mai struggled back onto the seat while the other women opened their doors and slid out. Really, it was as if she had faded from existence, she thought irritably before climbing over the row of seats and scrambling out the door to help with unloading.

Luella threw the front door of the house open and called to them cheerily. Mai threw her dress over one shoulder, thankful that the plastic covering was opaque and hid it from view of any of the men, before she grabbed her own suitcase and shuffled up the gravel path with a yawn.

"How are you still tired?" Ayako muttered exasperatedly as she fell in behind her.

"I'm not, I just woke up though," Mai assured her with a laugh.

"This is Shelby," Luella introduced the small dark haired woman who stood with them in the drawing room, "She's here to help us get ready." Shelby waved to them cheerily and took charge of the situation like only a season veteran could. She shooed the men out of the room and shut the door behind them for good measure before she hefted three large bags onto a coffee table and pulled a small stool over to be set next to her collection.

"I have five hours to make you all look like the goddesses you are and I don't plan on wasting a single second so who wants to step up first?" Shelby began with hands on her hips. She was dressed in a black long sleeved shirt and leggings but had traded her shoes for a pair of slippers for comfort as she would be standing for several hours, no doubt.

"I'll go first," Ayako claimed a seat on the stool.

Mai let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in the couch she had taken a seat on. She glanced over at the wheeled rack Shelby had instructed them to hang their dresses from and she bit her lip nervously before she pulled her phone from her pocket and decided to give one of her ebooks some attention. Naru had recommended several paranormal volumes for her to read up on when she had the chance and she figured now was as good as any.

Luella served them all tea and snacks while Shelby spoke with Ayako about colors and hairstyles. The conversation was quite but serious and Mai marveled at the gravity such things carried. She supposed she couldn't judge though, as she had never been to such an event, and never had the need to worry about her appearance much. She pulled at a strand of hair to examine it absently and heard Masako chuckle quietly next to her.

"Did you speak to Noll?" Luella asked as she sat down in a chair next to the couch. Her own makeup and hair completed before they had even arrived. Mai had to admit that makeup was a powerful thing. Luella was a beautiful woman, plump and shinning, but she looked so much younger.

"No," she admitted and fiddled with her phone nervously. "Some things happened and I didn't really have the chance. Now I'm worried he's going to avoid me all night!" she bemoaned as her nerves skyrocketed once more.

Luella tittered and waved her hand at Mai, "He could never ignore you. Everything will be fine."

Mai wasn't so sure but she nodded wordlessly regardless, appreciative of the support Luella provided. It was nice to know that she had the woman on her side. Mai knocked her toes together and took a sip of her tea with distant eyes.

Shelby was in the process of pinning Ayako's hair into a coil at the top of her head and pulling strands free to frame her face elegantly. Her makeup was already finished, eyes smoky with a hint of pink to match their cherry blossoms, and Shelby was putting a few finishing touches on her hair before she would move on to nails.

"I like doing it in this order because no one will touch and ruin their makeup with wet nails," she informed them cheekily and eyed Ayako's nails with a respectful air.

"Smart lady," Madoka crowed with a giggle before she returned to perusing Shelby's collecting of lipsticks.

"That's why I hired her," Luella stated primly but her eyes sparkled with mirth.

Once Ayako was finished she looked herself over in a floor length mirror set up by a window critically. She hummed and nodded approvingly, "Your work is good." She turned back to the rest of the room with her hands on her hips, "You should do Mai next. She's probably going to need the most help."

"Rude," Mai snapped and scowled when she felt her face heat up. She wasn't that bad, was she? Sure, she never really did her nails or wore much makeup, but she had nice hair at least. Shelby only patted the stool with a winning smile and Mai could not help but feel as if she were stepping up to the chopping block. She fretted and fidgeted on the stool and only stilled when Shelby rested a hand atop her head and tilted her head about to get a good look at her face.

"You have good skin and bone structure, Mai, don't let her get to you," she teased and shot Ayako a wink. "I don't want to do too much makeup wise, but I do want to do something fun with your hair," she continued to murmur quietly, obviously the words more meant for herself, before she got to work.

"What are you guys doing in here?" Yasuhara called from the doorway and peeked in with a Cheshire grin.

"Yasu!" Mai admonished and glowered at him through one eye while Shelby worked to coat the other in liner.

"You must be bored," Luella observed bemusedly before she turned back to the coffee table to offer him tea.

"He's not bored, he's just trying to cause trouble," Ayako grumbled but scooted over as Yasuhara took a seat on the couch between her and Masako. He was dressed in the pinstripe pants and white dress shirt of his outfit but had left the jacket upstairs on the hook in a closet.

"I do enjoy causing trouble," Yasuhara admitted while taking a sip of his tea.

"He's walked in on me changing on purpose," Mai grumbled but obediently shut up when Shelby dabbed at her lips with a brick red lipstick.

Luella turned wide eyes onto Yasu who only grinned into his tea cup and tilted his head just so to hide his eyes.

"Your son stole Mai from me, Mrs. Davis, I can't help myself," he admitted in a tortured tone.

"Oh lord," Luella bemoaned with a roll of her eyes, clearly used to Yasuhara's tactics.

"Anyways," Ayako called and directed the conversation elsewhere.

Yasuhara stayed with them for an hour before he grew too bored of talk of hair and nails and departed to cause mischief elsewhere. They had no doubt his next target would be John or Naru himself. The men were supposedly getting ready upstairs and using the extra time while the woman primped to discuss the case with Martin.

Mai stared down at her dress and ran a hand across the silken material nervously. Her nails had been painted a matte black and filed into rounded points that denoted a sort of deadly elegance that she rather enjoyed. Shelby had stated she needed a few thorns to go with the flowers on her dress. Her hair was pulled up into a half bun. It was a mess of curls and falling strands punctuated with a few black thread flowers that Madoka had glued to bobby pins as promised and handed off to Shelby to place. Ayako had loaned her simple black stone earrings and a pair of elegant heels to give her a bit of height and swagger in such a form fitting gown.

She had never felt so beautiful in her whole life.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, eyes wide, and struggled to recognize the plucky young girl within. Gone was the clumsy tomboy and in her place stood a woman of dark grace and class. She swallowed and stepped back so Madoka could look her dress over.

"You look like a goddess," Ayako assured her as she pulled her aside to give her a once over.

"So do you," Mai observed with a soft smile. Ayako looked like mother nature personified in her green and black dress and red curls.

"Madoka looks like an angel next to us," Ayako muttered and they both turned to look at the woman in white with her own pink hair curled into ringlets and pinned back elegantly.

Mai giggled and could only shrug.

"Mai, you look like the Queen of Ghosts!" Yasuhara exclaimed as he once again strolled into the room. His hair was styled in a suave manor and he had put his glasses away. He was buttoning up his suit jacket but paused to look all the women over.

Mai lifted her chin hotly and said, "Bow before me."

Yasuhara complied, sweeping into a low and humble bow, and earned several laughs from the other ladies in the room.

"Will you stop tormenting them," Monk's voice could be heard as he stepped in and scowled at Yasuhara. His own jacket was yet to be buttoned but he had chosen to do his hair up into a bun per Shelby's suggestion. She had stated it would be edgier and Monk had jumped onto the idea excitedly. Anything to revolt.

"You idiot, bow before you queen," Yasu cried and pulled Monk down into a low bow.

Monk scowled and pushed Yasuhara off of him and straightened with a flick of his jacket. "They're all queens, Yasu, maybe you'll get a girlfriend when you realize this," he muttered but smiled as he took Ayako in and then grinned when he spotted Mai.

"Heresy," Yasu cried.

"What's going on?" John asked as he peeked into the room and smiled upon sighting all the women. "You all look lovely," he said.

"John, you must bow before our queen," Yasuhara continued to mutter.

"Oh, I see several queens in this room," John schmoozed, causing Masako to giggle from behind the sleeve of her most elegant kimono.

"Alright, I will concede this point, but given that we are paranormal investigators, I suggest you bow to the Queen of Wandering Spirits over there," he gestured to Mai flippantly, causing the girl to snort.

"You are quite right," John teased and fell into a low bow as well.

"Alright, alright, you lot, let us ladies out," Luella chided as she shooed the men out the doorway and followed in their wake. They all stepped out into the foyer where the rest of the men had remained to wait patiently.

Mai glanced down at the small black clutch Ayako had passed to her and slid her phone into it with furrowed brows. It wasn't quite large enough to hold everything she needed it to. She had a few spare bills left over from her funds and a tube of the red lipstick that Shelby left for her and instructed her to touch up her make up every hour or so. What was the point of such a small bag? She wondered with a sigh.

She paused and lifted the tube from the bag, debating on just stuffing it down the front of her dress, but a hand reached out to coax it from her fingers. She blinked and turned to watch as Naru slid the lipstick into his pocket and offered his arm to her.

If Mai was a Queen then the man standing before her was a god and she was not ashamed to admit it. A three piece black suit fitted to perfection with a coal grey shirt that matched the exact shade of her own dress met her eyes. He had chosen to go with a black tie, as opposed to his father who wore a bowtie, and it was tucked away neatly. His hair was slicked back, though a few rebellious locks fell into his face, but Mai could not deny it made him look devilishly handsome. Dark blue eyes stared into her own as she took the offered arm slowly.

"You're learning," he purred.

Mai cocked her head in confusion, brows knit.

"You managed to keep your mouth shut," he continued to explain lightly.

Mai gaped at him, shocked that he had so blatantly ruined the moment, and scowled when he sighed.

"Don't regress now," he admonished her and reached to close her mouth with a finger to her chin.

"So bold of you, Big Boss, not to bow before your queen," Yasu stage whispered, scandalized, from where he stood next to John. "I assumed you were the most devout of all followers given your profession. Take heart, my Ghostly Queen, for I will be more than happy to spirit you away from this brute of a man."

"Yasu," Mai groaned in mortification. A blush erupted across her cheeks and she moved to step away from Naru just as Madoka reentered the room with the box of flowers in hand. Madoka passed the flowers around for everyone to pin to themselves.

Naru took the corsage in Mai's hand and fingered it thoughtfully, unhurried by those around him, before he lifted his eyes to her with a smirk. He bowed low, one arm at his waist, and straightened with all the calm and grace of a king. He ignored the pleased squealing from Madoka and Luella and lifted Mai's hand in his own to tie the black ribbon around her wrist gently. His cool touch on her pulse sent shivers down her spine but she dutifully accepted the boutonniere from him to pin it on his lapel. Her fingers trembled while she worked and she frowned, unhappy with how it laid against the fabric, and gave it one last nudge to put it in place. Naru gripped her hand against his chest and gave it a gentle squeeze before wrapping it back around his arm once more. She smiled, small and hesitant, but gripped his arm happily.

"I think not," Naru threw back over his shoulder to Yasuhara as they passed through the doorway and out into the night.

"I don't think I can top that," Lin murmured down to Madoka at his side and smiled when the woman swatted at him playfully.

"Smooth bastard," Yasuhara muttered jokingly and followed the rest of the group outside where a limo waited to ferry them to the gala.


	8. Note

Hey guys! I apologize for the long wait! I have not given up on this story at all, I want to assure you. In December I actually took over a business and I've been struggling to push it through this pandemic. Additionally, my laptop died T.T I have it all plotted out but I am just not capable of working on it at this time. Thank you for your amazing reviews and I promise I will get back to this story in the future. I actually want to do a third installment too! So keep a look out for me.


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